The Greater Common Good "Progress" in modern India. "Whether you love the dam or hate it, whether you want it or you don't, it is in
the fitness of things that you understand the price that's being paid for it. That
you have the courage to watch while the dues are cleared and the books are squared.
Our dues. Our books. Not theirs. Be there. "
(from India's National Magazine)
Devi: The Great Goddess From the folks at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. You might want to visit Puja as well.
Sarasvati Sindhu Civilization: Home Page Details the heritage evolved over two millennia from ca. 3300 B.C. (or, from about two
centuries before the start of Kaliyuga), over an extensive area in Eurasia.
BROKEN PEOPLE A large report, recently issued by Human Rights Watch that documents the discrimination suffered by Dalits under the rule of higher-caste groups in the
Indian states of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
Free India : Celebrating 50 Years of India's Freedom See Amar Chitra Katha Learn about India and its culture using comic books. Also, links to information on:
the geography of India (maps), They Fought For Freedom . . . (slide show), Freedom (Art Exhibition), Freedom Movement [slide show], Events in Independence Movement, Biographies Of Great
Indians, Preserving the Freedom (1971 Indo/Pak War), History of India, Historic Timeline, Myth of Aryan Invasion
of India, Contribution of India (slide show), Songs of Freedom, Festivals of India, Current Events -- Latest News and Issues.
India Perspectives - October'98 Who could help but be interested in titles such as: Diu: A Dancing Flame Upon the Sea, Lucknow: More Than a Historic City, Tungnath: Road to Salvation, IAF Museum: Mirroring History, Jamun: Panacea for Many Ills, Baba Farid: Symbol of Composite Culture, Corbett Park Birds: Infinite Variety, Spirit of the Brush Strokes, Mamallapuram: A Museum Created on Seashore.
Discover India -- Your Route to the Wonderland! Naturally you will want to click on the "History" link first, but be sure to return to other links that provide historical information, especially the link to "Religion."
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Freer Gallery of Art See
Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling
Monastery in India, Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion (an online guide
for educators, explores Hindu worship, shows video
clips, offers lesson plans, and provides activities for
children) and Buddha's Art of Healing, which "...examines the
iconography and vast corpus of medical
knowledge that constitute Tibetan medicine and its
unusual concept of treatment, which interweaves
spiritual, magical, and rational healing practices."
Discover India -- Your Route to the Wonderland! Naturally you will want to click on the "History" link first, but be sure to return to other links that provide historical information, especially the link to "Religion."
Harappa South Asia before 1947. TOC:
Images,
Photographs,
Lithographs,
Postcards III,
Mystery Card,
Movies,
Wall of Movies,
Shah Collection,
Sounds,
Gandhi,
Jinnah,
Indus Valley,
90 Slide Tour,
Lothal,
Resources.
Free Graphics on India and Hinduism The page (on the Tripod server) will take some time to load...but the wait is worth it..A very large collection of images on India -- past and present.
I would suggest that you stop the image load process and select from the 4 or 5 "Chapters" (each listing a series of sub-topics in cultural and historical areas) and view the graphics in context. You can then decide (at a more leisurly pace) which topics have graphics that will be useful on your pages. Many thanks to Lin & Don Donn for information on this site.
Puja | Guide for Educators Offering excellent lesson and background materials in the Guide for Educators. The following content listing is for ONE chapter of a 4 chapter teacher guide!: What is puja? What are the origins of Hinduism? Why are there so many different gods and goddesses? Why are there so many different forms of the deities? Where do Hindus worship? Worship in Hindu temples. Worship in homes.Worship at outdoor shrines. When do Hindus worship? How is Puja performed? How are sculptures of deities used in Hindu worship? Why are offerings given to images of the deities? Why do the deities have multiple arms and heads? How do I identify the different deities?
The page is an on-line companion to the award-winning exhibition -- Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion
at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Culture - Indian Art Representative samples of various types of art from the "... oldest and the most resilient culture on earth." See the fine Minature Paintings. Page also examines Paintings, Sculptures and Craft Traditions.
SCIENCE Online -- Visvanathan 280 (5360):42 Shiv Visvanathan (an anthropologist of science and human rights researcher at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi) describes the historic institutionalization of Western science in India. It provides some background for teachers of current events in that culture (the recent testing...)
The Hindu Universe - History The site applies the "Western" notion of "Ancient, Medieval, Modern" to the history of India.
Interesting.... that the history of so many cultures and civilizations can be simplified by the application of this chronological framework. Teachers need to talk (with others in the profession) and with students on how to question the framework.
Arts of India A selection of 5 works of art from India. Each major works features a TOC that includes:
Biographical Information, Cultural Context, Discussion Questions and Activities (Elementary, Middle School, High School), Medium, References, Theme, Timeline. Students could view the information on the site and use the basic concept and organization as a template for a survey of major or representative art from other cultures (or their own). Print and electronic resources could be required and the products of research presented in traditional print form or in a multi-media format. Many schools are using PowerPoint or HTML tools and posting the presentations on the LAN and on the Internet. Inform students that much of the information they will need can be located in the fine listing of Museums and other Art Related Sites Gateways.
The Indus Story A bit of a slow load...as the entire site is on one page. The page also includes some "optional" graphics that must load, even if the viewer is not especially interested in them.
Ancient Oriental Coins Scans of over 650 coins for Near Eastern, Persian, Indian, Central Asian and Chinese history from 600 BC to 1600 AD.
Harappa Harappa: The Indus Valley and the Raj. See the new Indus slide presentation (90 slides!) on Mohenjo Daro and read the associated essay. This could be one of the early projects for students in World History courses.
Site focus is South Asia before 1947 (now Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). Doorways take you to: Images including photographs, postcards, engravings and miniatures, India 1895 A look at the work-in-progress CD-ROM title, "Through A Magic Lantern: Jackson's INDIA 1895", Movies Archival film and video clips and private collections, Sounds featuring Mahatma Gandhi's voice, Flashback to a Delhi parade ground in 1857. Presents a large variety of content materials, sounds and videos.
Alamkara: 5000 Years of indian Art Table of conents: Kings, Courtiers and Craftsmen, The Ideal of Ornament, The Enduring Image, Adorning the Self, The Historic Ideal, Streams of Devotion, From Pot to Palete, The Pursuit of Pleasure, Mortal Women and Celestial Lovers. The graphics are exceptionally sharp and colorful and illustrate or explain the concepts being explained. This site is highly recommended for careful examination. Be sure to take students on a visit to Adorning The Self for text files and graphics to support the thesis of "In Indian culture, the body is invested with various meanings. This is reflected in its rich sculptural tradition where a language of poses as well as hand and leg positions developed to convey specific messages. Decorating the body is yet another way of conveying meaning."
Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies Several articles from recent issues were online...however some of the PDF files did not seem to be available. T ranslations from Hindu required for some portions of the PDF documents. Teacher, rather than student, focus.
Rambhoja and the Search for the Treasures of India
"As the greatest investigator and explorer of all time, the famous Rambhoja, you've been hired by the Indian Government to undertake the monumental task of locating and identifying the much spoken of but never seen wonders of India." This should be great fun for your India experts. Try the activity after your lesson or just for fun.