India for kids – an amazing and quick guide to India

Hello everyone! Today we're going to travel to India. So are you ready to learn from these adventures together? This place is in South Asia and its capital is New Delhi. Their flag is orange at the top, white in the center, and green at the bottom. It has a wheel in the center with navy blue arrows. One of the most visited places is the Taj Mahal. I have a very special story about the Taj Mahal in our next chapter. Very important fact about India is that it's the second most populous country, right after China, and as big as a continent. Actually, it's known as a subcontinent. Can you imagine how big it is to be called a subcontinent? As a consequence, it has so many regional differences. Among those differences, there are 25 recognized tribal languages, with Hindi being the most common. Well, if this surprised you, in India there are 1.366 billion inhabitants. Can you imagine moving around with that many people? That's why they go shopping on motorbikes. A lot of them, anyway. It makes things easier, don't you think? India is known for its history and great empires, but also spices! Different types of spices are used in Indian culinary culture, and that is one of the main reasons that attracted the trade with Europe and America in the past. Spices in India are so common, they can be found in every dish, like cardamom, black and green, turmeric, cumin, and curry. You might think of them as so spicy, but sometimes they're quite mild. Where do you think spices come from? Well, they actually come from plants! But let's talk about curry for a little bit. Surely you've tried the chicken curry, right? But curry as a spice comes from a tree called muraiya konegi, known as the curry tree. But curry is a combination of different ingredients, and that is what makes it so special. It comes from the word kari in Tamil, a language of South India. Spices are so special because they come in all sorts of colors. And we're sure that is something that sounds exciting, makes you want to get your hands on it, but be careful not to get the turmeric on your hands. It can be so hard to wash off. Talking about colors in our skin, have you heard of henna tattoos? Well, henna is a paste made from the crushed branches and leaves of the henna plant. Lawsonia intermis. It sounds like Latin. Which is a small flowering shrub. That reminds me, one favorite thing about Indian culture, their costumes. If you've seen a Bollywood movie, you will be able to see, observe how fascinating they are. The traditional women's clothes in India are characterized by their colors and fine fabrics. The most popular types are the sari, or sa-ri spelled. Sometimes they spell it sa-ri, sometimes they spell it sa-ri, is the most prominent garment of the traditional female clothing of India. It consists of a cloth that measures around 5 meters long and 1.2 meters wide. They contain embroidery that is taught from mother to daughter, generation to generation. Each stitch and each row of thread symbolize development, and their making is transmitted from mothers to daughters. It's tradition. This wraps around the body and forms a dress. Sort of a dress. Under it, a blouse is usually worn. Likewise, a long skirt known as a pe-peakote can be worn. The most used materials are cotton and silk. Depending on the style, you can know various aspects, such as the social level of the woman, her age, etc. There are different types, actually more than 15. The most common are sari chandrakala, grihasta, palu, paitani, and sheila. Actually, did you know that the wedding dress of the woman in India is red? Well, it also has a special name called a garcholu. The traditional Hindu wedding begins with the feast of Sangeet, in which the women of the two families come together and beautify and prepare the bride-to-be to receive the groom at her family home. It is here that mendhi or henna is performed, intended to beautify the bride, decorating her limbs with henna paints. Going back to traditional customs, men's traditional clothing has been influenced by lots of cultures. Although it has centuries of history, it is still used today. The dhoti is of Hindu origin. It consists of a piece of white or light-colored cotton that is passed through the legs and rolled at the waist. Its dimensions are about 5 meters long and 1.2 meters wide, just like the sari. Although the dhoti is worn throughout the country, it can be seen mainly in the state of West Bengal and the Ganges Valley. Are sacred because they make so much milk, so they can share it with us. But there are so many fantastic animals there, like monkeys. Monkeys are so common in India, they're part of everyday life, even running around stealing fruit in markets. Can you imagine that? It seems that their favorite fruit to steal is mango. Mango is very important in India, but you can also find bananas, guava, pineapple, papaya, and litchi. In India, they eat lots of vegetables and rice, more than they eat meat. But something we found really fun is that you have to learn to say yes when you say no with the head. And a very special way of saying hi is also the known namaste in yoga. It consists of gently tilting your head with your hands together in this greeting. There's humility and respect. And it is believed that the mudra also protects the person who performs it sincerely. Another fun way you can also say hi by touching your feet together, like shaking hands, but with feet. You might have also heard of yoga. Well, this is an ancient practice that unites the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. The word yoga means union. In this case, the union of body and mind. Its origins date back thousands of years, and this is one of the main reasons why it's so popular among different tourists from all over the world. If your parents ever say don't eat with your hands, just remember in India, there's a whole culture around it. Something very fun is that they eat with their right hands and burping is a sign of respect for those who cooked. If you visit India, don't forget to go through the most important river, the Ganges River. Here, the Indians gather to pay homage to their ancestors, and these celebrations are made following the sun, the moon, and the planet Jupiter. Sadhus monks have existed for many, many years, and they're in our favorite place in India, Nepal. This place is famous for its huge Himalayan mountains. They are the largest in the world. If you can imagine, you can tour by India by train, and it's super fun. As a last piece of advice, don't forget to check the weather when planning your trip. Oh, and don't forget your camera and get along with the travels.