Asia: INDIA, SRI LANKA, NEPAL

INDIA

India, the world's most populous democracy and the world's seventh largest country, is a vibrant, multiethnic melting pot of languages, religions, and cultures. Indian culture is the birthplace of three of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. There are around 200 different languages spoken, with Hindi being the most common. India is one of the most industrialized nations in the world, despite the fact that poverty is pervasive throughout the country. Multinational companies have invested in both agriculture and industry as they have flourished over the past two decades. Not to mention, India has the largest democracy in the world. Six hundred million people worldwide have legal voting rights.

India makes more movies than any other country, even the United States. Every year, about 800 full-length feature films are shot, most of them in Mumbai, also known as "Bollywood." Indian movies are often full of songs, dances, romance, beautiful stars, and action that never stops. In India, going to the movies is a popular thing to do, and many movies last four or five hours.

\n One of the most significant challenges that India has faced is meeting the growing demand for food from its people. It is presently self-sufficient in terms of food. Since the country's independence was declared in 1947, there has been a greater than 200 percent growth in the output of both rice and wheat. This development can be traced, at least in part, to the "Green Revolution" of the 1960s, which saw the modernization of farming operations and the introduction of higher-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. In other words, the "Green Revolution" was responsible for this improvement.

FOOD FROM INDIA

Quite a few people in India choose not to eat meat. They hold the view that it is immoral to use animals as food sources. Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, hence most Hindus and Muslims never consume beef. Although regional cuisines vary, a typical supper can consist of a variety of hot and sour vegetable dishes, dhal (lentils), dahi (yogurt), rice or chappatis (flat bread), and poppadums. Various spices, including turmeric, chile, coriander, cumin, and cardamom, are utilized to enhance the flavor of the dishes.

India's industry has flourished since its independence. Automobiles, chemicals, food and drinks, and computers are produced and processed at factories. Jet aircraft and space rockets are currently being produced. Textiles and leather goods account for the majority of exports. Historically, a significant portion of India's industrial output has been generated by tiny, family-owned businesses that produce traditional handicrafts such as brasswork, mirror work, and tie dye.

Cities in India are typically busy and disorganized places, with both modern and ancient buildings, such as mosques, temples, and monuments, coexisting side by side. Despite the fact that New Delhi is the capital, Mumbai is the most populous city. The city of Bangalore is quickly garnering a reputation for becoming the high-tech powerhouse of India. It is also the site of a flourishing electronics and telecommunications industry. However, a significant chunk of India is not yet considered developed, and a vast number of its citizens live in abject poverty.

Hindu weddings are big events with parties and feasts that last for several days. Most marriages are between people from the same caste or social group, and they are set up by the parents of the couple. After the wedding, the bride moves in with the family of her new husband. Hindus care a lot about their families. They often live as part of a large family, with people from different generations living in the same house.

Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra in the 1600s. He was one of the Mughal emperors who ruled India from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It is a great example of Islamic architecture, and a lot of people come to see it. It was constructed out of white marble as a tomb for his beloved wife. Every year, millions of people come to India because the tourism industry is becoming more and more important.

While Hinduism accounts for the vast majority of India's population, other religions like Sikhism and Jainism have a sizeable following as well. There is just one god in the Sikh religion. The Golden Temple in Amritsar is their most sacred site. The turban is a sign of religious purity for Sikh men. Comparable to Hinduism, Jainism is an alternative religion. To show their reverence for all forms of life, Jain monks cover their faces with masks to keep insects out of their mouths.

The sari, a length of colorful silk or cotton about 66 feet (20 meters) long, is the typical garment worn by women in India. It is wrapped around the body and slung over one shoulder. A sari's end is either left hanging or used to conceal the wearer's hair. Men typically wear dhotis, long strips of cotton material that are wrapped around the waist and down the center of the legs.

SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is an island that looks like a teardrop and is located off the southeast coast of India. It is known for its tropical beaches with palm trees, its rough mountains, and its wide range of wildlife, all of which bring in a lot of tourists. In the past few years, fighting between the majority Sinhalese people and the minority Tamil people, who want their own country, has hurt Sri Lanka and its tourism business a lot. Sri Lanka needs to do well in agriculture. The principal export products are tea, rubber, and coconuts, which are farmed on huge farms. The main crop is rice.

THE SACRED TOOTH

The most significant Buddhist celebration in all of Sri Lanka takes place at Kandy in August. Sacred to Buddhists, an elephant decked out in jewels and adornments carries the Buddha's tooth in a gold box as it parades through the streets. For the rest of the year, the tooth resides in the Temple of the Tooth. Some claim the tooth was salvaged from the Buddha's funeral pyre fire in 543 BC.

TAMIL PEOPLE

As a result of simmering tensions, a civil war broke out between the Sinhalese government and the Tamils in 1983 and lasted until 2002. There is tension on Sri Lanka because the Tamil minority is opposed to Sinhalese rule and wants to establish its own country in the north. About 20% of the population is made up of Tamils, the vast majority of whom are Hindus. Roughly 75% of the population consists of Sinhalese people, who are predominantly Buddhist.

SAPPHIRE BLUE

Sri Lanka is known for its gemstones, especially those from Ratnapura, which is called the "City of Gems." Nearby rocks contain sapphires, rubies, topazes, amethysts, and garnets. Many are turned into beautiful jewelry or sent to other countries.

NICE SAND

In recent decades, tourism in Sri Lanka has developed into a major economic sector. Beautiful sandy beaches can be found along the south and southwest coasts, while the historic city of Kandy, located inland, is known for its many Buddhist temples and monuments. Although it used to be a popular tourist destination, it has recently seen a decline in visitors due to the effects of the ongoing civil conflict and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

GROWING TEA

The majority of tea is produced on the expansive plantations that are located in the central highlands. The slower growth rate allowed by the more moderate climate contributes to the tea's unique flavor. Only the youngest, most fragile leaves are selected for harvesting, and this is done as rapidly as possible to maintain the product's high quality. Tea accounts for around one third of the island's total shipments outside the country. Recently, nations that produce tea of inferior quality and for lower prices have exerted a significant amount of competitive pressure on the global tea industry.

NEPAL

Nepal is a mountainous and landlocked country that is located in the Himalayan highlands (cut off from the sea). In spite of the fact that it is officially a Hindu state, a significant number of people there adhere to Buddhism as well. The very first elections for a democratically elected government were held in 1991, but in 1996 revolutionary communists began a military attack to overthrow the government. The monarchy was restored after the king temporarily suspended constitutional government and resumed his role as head of state, although the king was eventually overthrown by parliament in 2008.

KATHMANDU

Nepal's capital and biggest city is Kathmandu. In the old part of the city, there are a lot of small streets and squares with old temples and monuments on both sides. In one temple, a goddess named Kumari Devi, who is still alive, lives. She is a young girl who has been chosen to stand in for the Hindu goddess Parvati until she turns 13.

NEPALESE PEOPLES

Nepal is home to many different kinds of people. People know that the Sherpas in the eastern mountains are good at climbing. The Gurkha people are known for being brave and good at fighting. Everyone in the world has heard about them. People know the Newars of Kathmandu Valley for their beautiful wood carvings, which are used to decorate many temples and homes in Nepal. People from India make up more than half of the population.

PLACES IN THE MOUNTAINS

A majority of Nepalese, around 90%, make their living through agricultural labor. Terraces carved into the mountainside are meticulously maintained and used for growing crops like rice. Thanks to this, cultivators can use land that would have been unusable in the past. The monsoon rains are critical to a successful crop for farmers.

BHUTAN

THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM of Bhutan is a kingdom that is shrouded in mystery and is difficult to reach due to its hilly terrain and restricted travel routes. Bhutan, which does not have many natural resources, has been striving to create hydroelectricity from the rapid currents of the Himalayan rivers. Bhutan is a Buddhist country that is ruled by a monarchy and has a democratic government and legislature.

The people of Bhutan use yaks for several things, including food (yak meat), dairy products (yak butter and cheese), and fuel (yak dung).

Yak hair is used to make tents, clothing, fans, and dusters.

Keeping yak herds is essential to the survival of many people in Bhutan's mountainous regions. These sturdy creatures can withstand the cold and carry loads of up to a ton.

DRUKPAS

Roughly 70% of Bhutan's population is made up of Drukpas who are descended from Tibetans. The Drukpas and the Lhotsampa people, both of whom speak Nepali, engaged in violent conflict in the south of the country in 1990, which sparked violent protests against the government. In Bhutan, entry for new immigrants is not permitted at this time.

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