India

India has always been kind of a mystery for me. All the ancient myths, epics, philosphy... It's truly a unique country with long tradition and specific way of living. Would love to spend some time there (since it's a huge country, it would take time to see all of the most important sights though). 

A bit about the earliest times in Indian literature... The earliest literary writings in India, composed between 1700 BCE and 1200 CE, were in the Sanskrit language. Prominent works of this Sanskrit literature include epics such as the Mahābhārata and the Ramayana, the dramas of Kālidāsa such as the Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Śakuntalā), and poetry such as the Mahākāvya.

This is my first market postcard after a long time. Some pretty nice stamps were used ( the one in the upper corner is a joint issue with Slovenian post from 2014). 

India

The Peruvudaiyar Kovil, also known as Periya Kovil, Brihadeshwara Temple, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram, is one of the largest temples in India and an importan Indian arhitectural site. It is a Hindu tempe dedicated to Shiva located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, built in the 11th century. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".

India

And the last postcard from India sent by Arnab... It's a night view of the colorful and imposing main entrance gate of the Badrinath Temple, popularly known as Singhdwar.  I love the stamps :)

India

Arnab sent me this postcard as well, with a picture of one typically dressed Indian. Clothing in India is quite interesting, but complicated,too. You can find a lot about it here. I love the Silent Valley (Silent Valley is a national park in South India) stamp!

India

And the last one today - a snake charmer from India! Snake charming has always been so interesting and exotic at the same time, makes me wonder how do they manage to do that? Wikipedia says snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotise a snake by playing an instrument called pungi. It's typical for India, as well as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Morocco and some other North African countries (ancient Egypt was the home of one form of snake charming). Many snake charmers live a wandering existence, visiting towns and villages on market days and during festivals, and this profession is today in danger of dying out. 

Traditionally, the snakes come directly from wilderness, where they were captured by the snake charmers, and then are trained to get used to the sound of pungi. The Indian cobra is the most preferred snake in India (although various species are used) while the Egyptian cobra is the most popular one in the North Africa. 

Many thanks go to Arnab for the beautiful postcard and using many stamps!

India

Hello fellow collectors! When I woke up this morning, I was shocked how much snow there was outside. I knew there was going to be some, but this much was not in my plans at all... So I decided to show you a few cards that I got this week. The first one comes from India, representing traditional way of dressing. Thanks, Piyush!

India

Hello, collectors! It's been a while since my last post, but I'm back now :) Due to work and some other obligations, unfortunately, I will not have much time for scanning the postcards I receive and posting them here this summer. But my hobby is not stopping at all... Just few days ago I found this wonderful postcard in my mailbox. The view is absolutely magical.

The story about Taj Mahal fascinates me every time I hear it. I'm sure you know the story, but here it comes once again! It's the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two people from the course of history who set an example for the people living in present and the future to come.

Shah Jahan was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India. In 1607 when strolling down the Meena Bazaar, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight. At that time, he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her.

It was in the year 1628 that Shah Jahan became the Emperor and entrusted Mumtaz Mahal with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives also, but, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications. While Mumtaz was on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised her that he would never remarry and will build the richest mausoleum over her grave.
It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for two years. Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.

Heart melting story, isn't it? It is really nice to have a postcard from a place like this in my collection. Thank you, Anita!