Betel Nut chewing is a tradition which dates back thousands of years. The bitter poultice is an acquired taste, and although it’s not clear why the people of the Pacific originally began to chew betel nut, the habit has been passed down through the generations and now provides a cultural link to their past.
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The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 giving birth to his 15th child. It is said that the Emperor was so distraught at her death that his hair turned white overnight.
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Indian cuisine is shaped by myriad religious influences and what Indians eat, why, when and how is fundamental to their identity.
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Qawwali is a form of music practiced by Sufis to inspire religious devotion and instruction. Sufism is a mystical school of Islamic thought where truth and divine love are achieved through personal experience. Sufis are synonymous with the ‘Whirling Dervishes’ found in many parts of North Africa and the Middle East.
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Half way between Delhi and Agra lies Vrindavan, just ten kilometres from Mathura, the actual birthplace of the ancient Hindu deity, Lord Krishna, believed to be the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu .
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