– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

India,

land of towering mountains,

land of vibrant markets,

land of spirituality and contrast.

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tranquil waters reflecting ing ancient

temples.

Fragrant incense rising toward the sky.

Prayer flags fluttering across the

Himalaya.

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Welcome to India.

Welcome to the cradle of spirituality.

Known as Baharat in its own language,

this is a land where decorated elephants

parade through the streets, where Bengal

tigers move among mangrove forests, and

where white marble palaces tell stories

of emperors and lost dynasties.

But let's start from the beginning.

India extends from the heart of South

Asia all the way to the shores of the

Indian Ocean and it is a true geographic

giant that is home to over 1 and a half

billion people.

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This is not just a country but a true

subcontinent that is slowly moving

northward

by about 5 cm or 2 in per year pushing

the Himalaya ever higher in a geological

dance that has lasted for millennia and

that continues to shape the roof of the

world.

It is a nation that contains all the

climates of the planet in a single land.

From the frozen peaks of Kashmir where

winter reigns supreme to the tropical

forests of Kerala where humidity

envelops everything.

passing through the arid deserts of

Rajasthan in the monsunal plains that

transform with the seasonal rains.

In this extraordinary natural landscape

flows the Ganges for over 2,500 km or

1,550 mi. A river that is not just water

but the very spirit of India.

In fact, it is considered sacred by

Hindus and every year millions of people

immerse themselves in it to purify

themselves spiritually, seeking in its

waters the connection with the divine.

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And spirituality here has roots that

sink deep into time.

India is the cradle of four great

religions which are Hinduism, Buddhism,

Ginism and Sikism. And from here they

spread across the world today

influencing over 1 and a half billion

people.

The country possesses more than 300,000

mosques, living testimony to the

coexistence between different faiths and

to the spiritual richness that permeates

every corner of the nation.

But devotion here takes surprising

forms.

In Rajasthan, for example, the Carne

Mada temple houses over 25,000 rats

venerated as sacred.

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Or in Maja Pradesh, reverence reaches

even the governmental level with a

ministry dedicated to cows created to

protect and manage the welfare of these

boines considered sacred in much of the

country.

This profound respect for animal life is

also reflected in the dietary habits of

the population. They're being here the

largest vegetarian population in the

world with millions of people following

a plant-based diet.

But India is not only spirituality. It

is also a mix of languages and voices

with 22 official languages and over

1,600 dialects.

The state of Maharashtra alone has more

languages than many European countries,

making this land a place where every

dialect carries with it ancient stories

and traditions.

And this diversity explodes also in

festivities, there being more than 1,000

recognized throughout the year.

From Diwali, which is the festival of

lights that illuminates every home,

to Holy, which is the festival of colors

that transforms the streets into living

canvases.

This land has also given the world

unexpected and precious treasures.

It was the cradle of diamonds with the

first known minds in the world located

right here. Or it was the motherland of

the game of chess as well as of shampoo.

And the term shampoo derives from

Sanskrit and means to massage. And

Indians use natural herbs since ancient

times to wash their hair.

India therefore is much more than a

simple country.

It is an entire world, a universe that

continues to tell its millennial story

to anyone who has eyes to see and heart

to feel.

But now, let's go discover the most

incredible and iconic places of this

nation.

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Taj Mahal.

The white marble captures the light of

dawn and transforms it into shades of

pink and gold.

Shah Jahan had this mausoleum built in

1632 for his wife Mumaz Mahal who died

during the birth of their 14th child.

22 years and 20,000 craftsmen were

needed to complete it.

The minouretes lean slightly outward so

that in case of an earthquake they would

fall away from the central tomb.

The gardens follow the Persian design of

paradise divided into four parts by

water channels.

Every surface is decorated with inlays

of precious stones coming from Asia and

the Middle East.

When the sun sets, the monument passes

from white to pink, then to orange and

purple.

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Baroni.

The Ganges has flowed here for thousands

of years and with it flow the lives of

millions of people.

Veroni is one of the oldest inhabited

cities in the world and for Hindus to

die here means to break the cycle of

reincarnations.

There are about 84 gats which are the

staircases toward the river and each one

has a different function.

At dawn, pilgrims immerse themselves in

the sacred waters to purify themselves,

while funeral pers burn day and night

along the banks to cremate the deceased.

And the ashes are then scattered in the

current.

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When evening falls, thousands of lights

dance on the water during the arty

ceremony, an ancient Hindu worship

ritual in which oil lamps are offered to

the deities.

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Corala,

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a system of interconnected lagoons and

canals extends for 900 km or 560 mi

along the southwestern coast of India.

Here,

fresh water from the rivers mixes with

the salt water of the sea, creating an

ecosystem where coconut palms and spice

plantations grow.

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The house boats called kettovalum were

cargo boats for rice, but today they

transport visitors through lagoons and

canals.

Carerala is located on the Malibar coast

which was the main world center of the

spice trade for centuries

and even today black pepper, cardamom,

cloves, turmeric and tea are still

cultivated here

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along the coastal ports. Moreover, the

Chinese fishing nets installed in the

14th century rise and fall with the

tides, witnesses of ancient commercial

exchanges,

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Japur.

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The walls of the old city are painted

pink, a color chosen in 1876 to welcome

the Prince of Wales.

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This pink characterizes the entire

historic architecture of the city,

including the Palace of the Winds, with

its 953 windows built to allow the women

of the court to observe city life

without being seen.

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Not far away rises the city palace,

still partially inhabited by the royal

family, with the other sections that

have been transformed into museums open

to the public.

In the heart of the city is the Jontar

Montar, an astronomical observatory from

the 18th century. While at the entrance

to the old city, the Patria gate

welcomes visitors with nine arches

decorated with fresco that tell the

history and legends of Rajasthan.

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Among these monuments then wind the

bizaars which are labyrinths of alleys

where they sell fabrics, jewelry and

spices.

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Leila

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Lei is the capital of the ancient region

of Leidda, also called Little Tibet for

its Buddhist culture.

The city's main monastery, Thixie, is a

12-story palace built as a copy of the

Dalai Lama's Palace in Tibet.

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There is also Lelay Palace which

dominates the city from above with its

nine floors of 17th century Tibetan

architecture. While Lamauru Monastery is

one of the oldest in Ladak and clings to

the rocks at 3,500 m or about 11,485

ft in altitude.

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The territory extends between desert

valleys and Himalayan passes that also

exceed 5,000 m or about 16,400 ft with

air so rarified that trees barely Bro,

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humpy.

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500 monuments are distributed over 26

square km or 10 square miles of rocky

landscape.

In the 14th century, this was the heart

of the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the

richest cities in the world, where Arab

and Persian merchants arrived to buy

diamonds and fine fabrics.

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In 1565, the armies of the Dean

Sultanates destroyed the capital,

leaving temples, palaces, and aqueducts

in ruins among granite boulders.

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Among the most fascinating ruins stands

the Vitala Temple, where there is a

stone chariot with wheels that still

turn.

Here

we also find the Virupaka temple which

continues to host ceremonies after 700

years of uninterrupted activity.

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The irrigation canals built centuries

ago still function today, bringing water

from the Tongabadra River to the

surrounding cultivations.

Goa

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Three centuries of Portuguese rule have

left Baroque churches where the remains

of St. Francis Xavier rest

next to Hindu temples that smell of

incense and franapani flowers.

The beaches of the north have attracted

travelers for decades in search of

something that goes beyond a simple

vacation. While in the interior, the

spice plantations grow among the forests

of the western gats, which hosts

leopards, gores, and over 400 species of

birds.

Rice instead grows in terrace patties

that alternate with cashew groves.

In the coastal villages, fishermen

repair their nets before dawn. And when

the sun sets, the night breeze carries

the salty smell up to the hills of the

interior, where macaks cross the roads

between one house and another.

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Rishiesh and Harodir.

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These two cities mark the border between

the Himalayas and the plains where the

Ganges changes character and slows its

course.

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Rishih hosts hundreds of yoga schools

and ashrams including the one where the

Beatles studied meditation in the 60s.

Here every evening the Lakshman Jula

suspension bridge fills with people who

witness the RT the ceremony of lights on

the river.

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A little further downstream there is

Haridoir whose name means gateway to God

and which welcomes every 12 years a

pilgrimage that gathers millions of

faithful who bathe in the waters of the

river.

Moreover, the steps that descend toward

the water crowd daily with pilgrims who

immerse the ashes of the deceased in the

sacred waters to free souls from the

cycle of reincarnation,

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Mumbai

The city wakes before dawn and never

stops.

Mumbai is home to 20 million people

distributed over 615 km or 237 miles

making it one of the densest urban areas

on the planet.

Local trains transport 8 million

passengers every day, often with cars

overflowing with people clinging to the

doors.

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Here coexist the skyscrapers of Naraman

Point with the slums of Davi where half

a million people live in less than two

square kilm or less than one square

mile.

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The Gateway of India faces the Arabian

Sea built in 1924 to commemorate the

visit of King George V.

While in the downtown streets, there are

street vendors of spice sandwiches and

various stalls.

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Dargiling

at 2,50 m or about 6,725

ft on the Himalayas rises the world

capital of tea, the last jewel of

British colonial India.

The steam toy train from 1881, a UNESCO

heritage site, still winds along the

mountain railway which made the city

famous.

The city streets blend English colonial

heritage with Himalayan culture, filled

with the sense of tea, incense, and

freshlymade dumplings.

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Finally, the Tibetan monastery of Goo

preserves the statue of Matraa Buddha, a

symbol for the refugees who found a home

here after the invasion of Tibet.

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Jodpur

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blue dominates the old city where

hundreds of houses are painted with

indigo.

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This tradition was born centuries ago

when the brahinss used the color to

distinguish their dwellings and today it

has become the visual identity of the

city.

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The Maringar Fort rises on a hill with

walls up to 36 m or 118 ft high and 21 m

or 69 ft thick.

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It was built in 1459 by Ral Jada who

gave his name to the city.

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Inside there are seven gates, each built

by a different Maharaja to commemorate

military victories.

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The city is also home to several markets

selling fabrics, spices, and silver

jewelry crafted using ancient

techniques.

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Munar

tea plantations cover the hills like an

emerald green mantle.

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Munner is located at 1,600 m or 5,250 ft

of altitude in the western guts of

Carerala where the temperature remains

cool all year round.

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The English planted the first tea here

in 1870, transforming tropical forests

into orderly expanses of bushes.

Today, the pickers select by hand only

the top two leaves in the bud, and each

plant is pruned regularly to keep it low

and facilitate harvesting.

The fog envelops the hills early in the

morning and then dissolves, revealing

valleys that seem never to end.

Chasalmer.

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A city emerges from the Thar Desert like

a mirage of yellow sandstone.

The walls and palaces are built with the

same yellow stone. While a few

kilometers away is bad, which is a

garden where the senotaps of the local

Maharajas rise. That is dome structures

that commemorate the sovereigns of a

dynasty.

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The fort is one of the last in the world

still inhabited with about 3,000 people

living inside its walls.

It was built in 1156 on a hill to

control the trade routes through the

desert. And precisely thanks to this

traffic, the city accumulated wealth for

centuries.

Today, the desert slowly advances toward

the dwellings, while camels still

transport visitors among the sand dunes

that surround the city, where once

spices and silk past headed toward the

west.

Pong Lake.

A salt lake divides the border between

India and Tibet for 134 km or about 83

mi.

Its waters change color during the day

and in winter they transform into an

expanse of ice where salt crystals

create plays of light under the sun.

The lake is a fundamental stopping point

for migratory birds which fly between

central Asia and India.

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On its shores, the local nomadic tribes

of the Chongpa bring their yaks to

pasture, which are enormous boines

adapted to life at high altitude.

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Pushkar.

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A sacred lake is located in the center

of the city surrounded by 52 gats where

pilgrims purify themselves.

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According to Hindu tradition, Brahma,

the creator of the universe made a lotus

flower fall here and water gushed from

the earth.

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The temple dedicated to Brahma is one of

the few existing in India. Built in the

14th century with white marble and red

stone.

Every November the camel fair is held

when 50,000 animals are brought here to

be sold or traded.

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The streets of the city also fill with

stalls that sell fabrics, jewelry, and

musical instruments.

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Sikim and gang talk.

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The small Indian state of Sikkim opens

up like a balcony onto the Himalayas

overlooking the third highest mountain

in the world, Kchenjunga.

For centuries, it remained an

independent kingdom until 1975.

Its forests, thick and humid, host the

rare red panda, while the valleys are

fragrant with wild orchids and cardamom,

cultivated and sold in local markets.

Nestled along a mountain ridge, Gangtalk

is the capital of Sikkim.

Here

the Lal Bazaar Market bustles with

merchants and colors while the room

monastery not far away continues to

preserve the Kagyu Buddhist tradition in

a complex that recalls the grandeur of

lost Tibet.

A cable car soarses over the city

connecting the neighborhoods. And from

above you can see the roofs that climb

along steep slopes.

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Kochi.

The Chinese fishing nets rise and fall

along the port since the 14th century,

and their presence tells how Kochi has

been for centuries one of the most

important ports of the Malibar coast.

Here, ships arrived loaded with Arab,

Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch

merchants. And this trade transformed

the city into a crossroads of cultures

and religions.

The Paradisi Synagogue built in 1568

testifies to the ancient Jewish

community that settled in the city.

While the Fort Coochi neighborhood

preserves the colonial churches that

alternate with Hindu temples and

mosques.

There is also the Matt and Cherry Palace

which guards some fresco that narrate

the ancient epic poem Ramayana. And the

same epics are still represented today

in the city's theaters through katakali,

which is a traditional dance where

performers put on makeup for hours.

Agra

The Taj Mahal attracts 8 million

visitors every year. But Agra guards

many other treasures of the Mughal era

that tell the history of this dynasty.

The Red Fort example extends over 38

hectares or 94 acres along the Yamuna

River. Built by Emperor Akbar in 1565

with red sandstone brought from

Rajasthan.

And it was precisely in a tower of this

fort that the creator of the Taj Mahal

spent the last 8 years of his life

imprisoned by his son observing from the

window the mausoleum he had built for

his wife.

40 km or 25 mi away is Fatapur Sikri, an

imperial capital inhabited for only 15

years before being abandoned for lack of

water.

In the markets of Agra, traditional

sweets and colorful fabrics are sold

while the streets fill with the scent of

spices and freshly baked bread.

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Ramvad.

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A temple extends over 6 hectares or 15

acres and is surrounded by a corridor

with 1,200 carved columns, each

decorated with different motifs.

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It is located on an island connected to

the mainland by a railway bridge built

in 1914 and by a more recent road

bridge. And according to the Ramayana,

it was from here that Rama built a

bridge of floating stones toward Sri

Lanka to save his wife.

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Also for this reason, pilgrims come from

all over India to immerse themselves in

the 22 sacred wells inside the temple,

each with water of different taste which

is believed to have purifying

properties.

At the extremity of the island is

Danushki beach where the Indian Ocean

meets the Bay of Bengal. But here in

1964, a cyclone completely destroyed the

city, now leaving only ruins of colonial

buildings wrapped in sand,

Delhi.

Eight cities have been built here over

the course of 3,000 years, and each one

has left overlapping layers of history.

The Kutub Minar rises for 73 m or 240

ft. Built in 1193 with red sandstone

decorated with verses from the Quran.

While Humun's tomb completed in 1572

was the first garden mausoleum of the

subcontinent and inspired the

architecture of the Taj Mahal.

In 1911, the British decided to move the

capital from Kolkata to Delhi and built

New Delhi, a new city with wide avenues

that connect monumental government

buildings.

This modern Delhi coexists with the old

Muggal city where the Jamaa Mazjid which

is the largest mosque in India dominates

a 17th century market with 6,000 shops

that sell spices, fabrics and jewelry in

narrow alleys.

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The metro, moreover, is the main means

of transportation and transports 4

million passengers per day through 350

km or 217 mi of tracks that connect the

ancient to the modern.

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Mahabalipuram.

The sculptures emerge from living rock

along the coast of the Bay of Bengal

where history meets the sea.

This city was an ancient port of the

Paliba dynasty and today guards some of

the most fascinating stone structures in

India.

The lighthouse rises on a rocky spur and

has guided navigators for centuries,

offering a panoramic view of the coast.

The shore temple instead resists the

tide since 700 AD. Built entirely with

granite blocks that demonstrate the

skill of ancient artisans.

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Here

the golden beaches alternate with

monuments carved in stone creating a

landscape that contrasts with the

mountains of the Himalaya and shows

another incredible face of India.

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Manali and Rotang Pass.

One of the most spectacular roads in

India climbs with 51 hairpin turns

toward the clouds, separating two

completely different regions, the green

valley of Manali and the desert plateaus

of Leidda.

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Rotang Pass is a crossing point with

snow that is often present during the

year. And for centuries now, merchants

and travelers have used this passage as

a bridge between India and Tibet.

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In the old part of Manali, instead

temples built in wood 500 years ago

recall ancient Indian legends, while not

far away, waterfalls and thermal waters

rich in sulfur spring forth.

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Local life is still based on mountain

agriculture and pastoralism,

traditional activities that today

coexist with tourism.

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During summer, moreover, shepherds bring

their flocks through the pass following

the ancient transhumans roads.

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Varala.

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The red cliffs rise for 15 m or 49 ft

above the Arabian Sea. And this is one

of the few places in the state of

Carerala where the mountains meet the

ocean directly without intermediate flat

beaches.

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Fishermen go out at dawn with

traditional boats called Volum,

returning with the catch that they sell

directly on the beach and along the

coast, alternate small villages where

houses face the sea.

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During the monsoon, the waves reach

considerable heights and the beach

empties.

While from November to April, the sea

calms, allowing visitors to bathe in the

warm waters of the ocean,

Speedy Valley.

The Speedy Valley reveals an ancient

story in its mountains.

Its marine fossils from 100 million

years ago in fact testify that here once

upon a time there was an ocean

perched on a rock at more than 4,000 m

or about 13,125

ft in altitude risees key monastery a

fortress temple built more than a

thousand years ago where Buddhist monks

preserve ancient sacred texts in rooms

lit only by traditional butter lamps.

In this remote valley, some of the

highest inhabited villages on Earth are

found, which remain completely isolated

for half the year when winter brings

polar temperatures of 30° below zero or

about -22° F.

The river that gives the valley its

name, moreover, has carved very deep

gorges between the mountains, creating

one of the most extreme landscapes in

the Himalayas.

Megalia.

The name means a boat of the clouds. And

here fall over 11,000 mm or 433 in of

rain per year, making this region one of

the wetest on the planet.

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During the monsoon, the clouds envelop

the hills and the rain falls

uninterruptedly for months, transforming

the landscape into a brilliant green

expanse where hundreds of streams and

rivers flow.

Precisely these atmospheric conditions

have pushed the tribes to develop a

unique technique to cross the rivers.

That is to make living bridges grow

intertwining aerial roots of fus trees.

The Noaliki Kai waterfalls plunge for

350 m or 1,148

ft into a green pool surrounded by

rainforest.

While the Seven Sisters falls divide

into seven parallel waterfalls that

descend along rocky walls covered with

moss.

The forests host rare orchids that grow

on trees, and the constant humidity

feeds a vegetation so thick that the sun

struggles to reach the ground.

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Alipi.

The canals intertwine for hundreds of

kilome creating a navigable water

network.

Aleppy is the starting point to explore

the lagoons of Carerala where floating

villages have existed since the time

when the spice trade passed via water.

The houseboats float slowly among

coconut palms and flooded rice patties,

while fishermen still use traditional

nets that immerse and emerge following

particular movements.

During the rainy season, the canals fill

up and the landscape becomes a mosaic of

green and blue.

Nubra Valley

Beyond Kardungla, one of the highest

moable passes in the world, lies a

valley where two humped camels walk

among the dunes at 3,000 m or about

9,850 ft above sea level.

Discuit Monastery has watched over the

valley for 350 years while apricot trees

bloom in the villages creating an oasis

of green in the high altitude desert.

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The caravans that traveled the Silk Road

stopped here to get water supplies and

rest before crossing the Himalayan

passes.

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The Shyak River finally draws meanders

between the mountains while white sand

dunes contrast with the barren mountains

that reach 6,000 m or about 19,685

ft.

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Orcha.

The Betwe River flows next to palaces

and temples built between the 16th and

17th centuries when Orca was the capital

of the Bundela Kingdom.

The rulers of this dynasty wanted to

demonstrate their power through

architecture.

The Jiangir Mahal in fact was built in

one year to host the Mughal emperor

during a visit with 132 rooms

distributed over three floors.

Not far away, the Raja Mahal preserves

fresco that decorate walls and ceilings,

testimony to the refinement of the

court.

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But the most particular place is the Ram

Raja temple. The only one in India where

Rama is venerated as king rather than as

deity and everyday receives military

honors with uniform guards.

This custom confirms how in Orcha

temporal and spiritual power merge.

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Pelling.

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From this village, you can see Kenchan

Junga, the third highest mountain in the

world with its 8,586

m or 28,169

ft.

Pelling is located at 2,000 m or 6,560

ft of altitude in western scum where the

air is thin and clouds envelop the

rotodendron forest.

The Pemma Monastery dates back to 1705

and is reserved for Buddhist monks of

pure Tibetan descent.

While a few kilometers away are the

ruins of Rabdensa, capital of Scum

destroyed in 1814 during the Nepoese

invasion.

Here the mountains dominate the horizon,

the monasteries guard ancient prayers,

and Pelling remains suspended between

sky and earth,

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Sunscar Valley.

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A valley so remote that it remains

isolated for twothirds of the year.

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In winter, the Zanscar River becomes an

ice which monks travel to move between

monasteries with temperatures that drop

to 30° below zero or about -22° F.

The villages accumulate during summer

supplies of barley and yak butter to

survive the harshest months.

When the ice melts, however, the valley

awakens and herds of yaks are led to

high altitude pastures where grass grows

lush under the Himalayan sun.

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Atherup alley waterfalls.

Water plunges from 80 m or 262 ft high,

crossing layers of ancient lava rock.

Here

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the rainforest of Kerala Lagard's rare

orchids and endemic species that you

will not find elsewhere in India.

The Chalakudi River divides into white

rivullets before rejoining in the pool

below while lion tailed macaks watch

from the highest branches.

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During the monsoon, the flow increases

and the roar can be heard kilometers

away.

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The local tribes have considered this

place sacred for generations and still

today celebrate rituals linked to the

cycle of rains.

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Shimla,

the ancient mountain city where the

British took refuge to escape the heat

of India, rises at 2,200 m or about

7,220

ft. Wrapped in an almost constant fog,

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a historic railway built by the English

crosses through 102 tunnels in the rock,

creating one of the most spectacular

train journeys in India.

The main street of the city maintains

its colonial appearance intact, while

troops of monkeys have made the roofs

their territory

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on the highest point of the city.

Finally, a Hindu temple with a gigantic

sacred statue watches over the valley.

While further below the traditional

market comes alive with stalls selling

spices and local teaser

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port.

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This fortress dominates the city of the

same name from a height of sandstone

rock that rises for 100 m or 328 ft.

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Its walls enclose 15th century palaces

decorated with turquoise and yellow

ceramic tiles.

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Inside the fort, the man Singh Palace

hosts fresco rooms

and also rise the Sas Bahu temples

dedicated to Vishnu with finely carved

columns that testify to the skill of

medieval artisans.

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The followers of Janism instead have

carved into the rock at the foot of the

hill statues 15 m or 49 ft tall.

Some damaged during invasions, but still

visible.

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In the underground there are the ancient

prisons. And if you climb the ramps and

look at the plane, you immediately

understand why this place was

impregnable.

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Nashik.

Every 12 years, millions of pilgrims

reach the city to immerse themselves in

the Godavari River during the Kumbla,

which is one of the largest religious

gatherings in the world.

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The faithful arrived from all over India

to bathe in the sacred gats like Ramkun

which is the point where according to

legend a drop of the nectar of

immortality fell.

The waters here wash, according to

tradition, the sins of entire lives.

[Music]

But Nashik is not only faith. In fact,

the surrounding hills host vineyards

that produce much of Indian wine in a

country where viticulture is still a

novelty.

Today, the city pulses between ancient

and modern with temples next to wineries

and morning rituals followed by evening

tastings.

[Music]

[Music]

Gango tree.

Here the Ganges River is born from the

Gangotri glacier at almost 4,000 m or

about 13,125

ft in altitude.

[Music]

The water descends from the Himalayan

mountains and crosses India for 2,000 km

or about 1,240 mi all the way to the Bay

of Bengal.

[Music]

Every year thousands of pilgrims reach

the village of Gangotri to immerse

themselves in the sacred waters and pray

in the temple dedicated to the goddess

Ganga.

[Music]

[Music]

The Hindu tradition in fact considers

this river a divinity which purifies the

soul and washes away sins.

[Music]

Punjab.

The wheat and rice fields extend as far

as the eye can see. Irrigated by a

system of canals built during the

colonial period.

This land nourishes India and the green

revolution of the 60s started from here.

Transforming Punjab into the grainery of

the country.

But progress has a price.

The intensive use of fertilizers in fact

has impoverished the soil while the

water tables drop every year by a few

meters.

[Music]

Here we also find the golden temple of

Amritsar which attracts faithful from

all over the world who then eat for free

in the largest community kitchen on the

planet which is located right in this

temple.

[Music]

[Music]

Majuli,

the largest inhabited river island in

the world. we find in the Brahmautra

River and it shrinks more every year due

to erosion.

Once it measured 1,200 km or 463 square

miles.

Today it counts less than 400 or 154

square miles.

The monasteries called Satra preserve

masked dances and devotional songs that

date back to the 16th century.

Here life flows with the slow rhythm of

the waters.

There are fishermen who repair nets on

the banks, women who weave hyin baskets,

children who row towards school on small

canoes.

During the rainy season, the river

expands and redraws the boundaries of

the island, submerging rice patties and

bamboo villages.

[Music]

Allora caves

in Maharashtra. 34 temples emerge from a

mountain wall like a vertical art

gallery carved in rock. Here

for 15 centuries, three religions have

coexisted and Buddhists, Hindu and Jane

temples follow one another along the

basalt wall.

[Music]

The Kyloa temple is the heart of the

complex.

To create it, sculptors removed 440,000

tons of rock from top to bottom as if

they were freeing an architecture

already contained in the mountain.

[Music]

During monsoon, water flows along the

carved walls, transforming the reliefs

into natural waterfalls.

[Music]

[Music]

Statue of Unity.

Touching the sky of Gujarat with its 182

m or 597 ft rises a titan of bronze and

steel that tells a story of unification.

[Music]

This monument to Sardar Patel

inaugurated in 2018 is not just the

world's tallest statue but a prodigy of

modern engineering.

Its structure designed to resist fierce

winds of 180 kmh or 112 mph and

earthquakes up to 6.5 magnitude guards

in its interior a panoramic elevator.

[Music]

Visitors ascending through the statue's

heart reach a magnificent view of the

dam and Sapura mountain chains,

contemplating the legacy of the man who

transformed 562

princely states into a united nation.

Concluding this visual journey through

India, we have moved from the charm of

its ancient temples to the cities and

most extraordinary landscapes, exploring

together not only places but also

curiosities that make every corner of

this land unique.

We hope that the images and stories told

have enriched your knowledge and

stimulated the desire to personally

explore the extraordinary richness of

this fascinating subcontinent.

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A1	noun - a very tall natural elevation of the earth's surface
market /ˈmɑːrkɪt/ A1	noun - a place where goods are bought and sold
spiritual /ˈspɪrɪtʃuəl/ B1	adjective - relating to the soul or spirit, not physical
contrast /ˈkɒntræst/ B1	noun - a difference between two or more things
temple /ˈtempəl/ A2	noun - a building for religious worship
incense /ˈɪnsens/ B1	noun - a substance that produces a fragrant smoke when burned
Himalaya /ˌhɪməˈleɪə/ A2	noun - a mountain range in Asia
elephant /ˈɛlɪfənt/ A1	noun - a large mammal with a long trunk
tiger /ˈtaɪɡər/ A1	noun - a large carnivorous feline with black stripes
marble /ˈmɑːrbəl/ B1	noun - a hard, crystalline metamorphic rock
palace /ˈpæləs/ A2	noun - a grand residence, especially for a ruler
monsoon /mɒnˈsuːn/ B2	noun - a seasonal wind that brings heavy rainfall
sacred /ˈseɪkrɪd/ B1	adjective - regarded with reverence; holy
Hindu /ˈhɪnduː/ A2	noun - a follower of Hinduism
mosque /mɒsk/ A2	noun - a place of worship for Muslims
vegetarian /ˌvedʒɪˈteəriən/ A2	noun - a person who does not eat meat
festival /ˈfɛstɪvəl/ A2	noun - a celebration, often of cultural or religious significance
diamond /ˈdaɪəmənd/ A2	noun - a precious stone of pure carbon
shampoo /ʃæmˈpuː/ A2	noun - a liquid soap for washing hair
universe /ˈjuːnɪvɜːrs/ B1	noun - all existing matter and space

Key Grammar Structures

• India extends from the heart of South Asia all the way to the shores of the Indian Ocean...

  ➔ Extended Range of Prepositions ('from...to')

  ➔ The phrase 'from the heart of South Asia all the way to the shores of the Indian Ocean' uses 'from' and 'to' to indicate a complete span or extent. It's a common structure for describing geographical boundaries.

• India is the cradle of four great religions which are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

  ➔ Non-restrictive Relative Clause

  ➔ The clause 'which are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism' provides additional information about the 'four great religions' but isn't essential to identify them. It's set off by commas.

• It is a nation that contains all the climates of the planet in a single land.

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause with 'that'

  ➔ The clause 'that contains all the climates of the planet in a single land' *defines* which nation is being discussed. It's essential information and isn't set off by commas.

• From the frozen peaks of Kashmir where winter reigns supreme to the tropical forests of Kerala where humidity envelops everything.

  ➔ Parallel Structure with 'where' Clauses

  ➔ The sentence uses a parallel structure with two 'where' clauses to describe contrasting locations. 'where winter reigns supreme' and 'where humidity envelops everything' have the same grammatical form.

• But devotion here takes surprising forms.

  ➔ Inversion for Emphasis

  ➔ The typical word order would be 'Devotion here takes surprising forms.' The inversion ('takes surprising forms devotion here') is used to emphasize 'devotion'.