Manali is a beautiful hill station near the northern end of the Kullu Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The town of Manali has its references in several Hindu scriptures. According to myths after the great flood which devastated whole of the world, a Hindu sage called Manu landed on the earth at Manali to recreate the human life. Thus the region where he had landed came to be known as Manu -Alaya which literally means the abode of Manu. Manali is the changed name of Manu-Alaya. Old town of Manali also houses a temple dedicated to Manu. 

Modern history of Manali goes back to the time of the British rule. It was British who transformed this pastoral land into a beautiful hill station.  British in India made Manali their summer resort. They found the climate of Manali conducive to produce apples and therefore they planted there apple orchards on large scale. Under the rule of British Manali witnessed a large scale development. After the independence of India, Manali was further developed as a beautiful tourist spot. At present Manali is among the most preferred tourist destinations in India.

 Ludhiana is located 100 km west from state capital Chandigarh in Indian state Punjab.

People of Ludhiana are known for their lavish living style. They are considered to be among the most extravagant people of India. Most of the people living there are of Hindu religion while the people of Sikh and Muslim are also found living there in considerable number. Punjabi is the official and widely spoken language of Ludhiana. The city is rich in its culture and traditions.It is main hub of Punjab's culture, after Chandigarh, Amritsar & Jalandhar After independence of India the city of Ludhiana has witnessed the influx of the people from neighboring states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan etc and has become a cosmopolitan city. Nevertheless the city of Ludhiana has not lost its vibrant culture and tradition completely.

Ludhiana is a main center of cultural activities. Almost every week it hosts cultural programs at many auditoriums situated in the city. It is also known for its folk dance and songs. The city has produced several Punjabi singers. Bhangra, Ghumar and Gidda are some of the famous Punjabi folk dance forms of Ludhiana. Fair and festival celebrated in Ludhiana also form integral part of the culture of the people living there. Fairs and festival and other cultural event serve as the platform from where one can have the views of their vibrant and colorful culture and traditions.

Five-day long the Natyanjali Dance Festival is dedicated to Lord Nataraj(Lord of dances).Festival starts from the day of 'Maha Shivaratri' in the month of February at the Nataraj temple in Chidambaram,
Tamil Nadu. 

This temple is 1000 years old fitting backdrop to the spectacular event taking place under the golden roof of the temple showing pillars that depict Lord Nataraja in the classic 108 poses from the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu known as Bharatanatyam. This festival is organised by the Tourism Department of Tamil Nadu and the Natyanjali Trust.It is the opportunity for all dancers from all over the India to present their talent and to offer their dance to Lord Nataraj.
By getting inspired from this dance festival dance performances are held in the other temple like Thiruvarur,Pondicherry and in few more town.
It is designed to promote a universal message of 'Unity in Diversity' conveyed in the universal language of music and dance.

Jaipur
 

Ludhiana is the largest city of the state of Punjab, India. From being a small village named Meer Hota to its becoming Lodiana and then Ludhiana, Ludhiana has witnessed several rules of different kingdoms. From first century to the fourth one the region was under the rule of Yodhas. Thereafter it came under the rule of Samudragupta. The original Ludhianavis who are credited for founding Ludhiana came here late in 9th century. In the reign of Lodi the people around Ludhiana were being harassed by the Baluchis. Then the people appealed to Siknadar Lodi to help them out. In the reply to their appeal Sikander sent two officers named Yusuf khan and Nihang Khan. Nihang remained at a village named Meer Hota as Naib. He started to call the village Lodiana. Later his grandson Jalal Khan built Lodhi fort there. After that two sons of Jalal Khan divided the region around the fort among themselves. Later on Lodi dynasty was over thrown by Mughal in 16th century. The Mughal founded their strong government at Sirhind and attached Ludhiana to it as Paragana.

After the decline of Mughal, Ludhiana was ruled by several kingdoms. The Rais of Rajkot who were having considerable land around Ludhiana in lease from Mughal emperor ruled Ludhiana until 1809 Ranjit Singh of Sikh kingdom captured the region and stripped the Rais of all their possessions. Later on Ludhiana came under the control of British Empire in India. British continued to rule it until 1947 when India got freedom from the colonial rule. Many leaders of the Indian freedom movement came from Ludhiana.  

Ludhiana, the only Industrial city in Northern India, stands on the G.T Rd from Delhi to Amritsar. Distance of Amritsar from Ludhiana is 136 kms.

Kullu Valley

 Kullu is a famous tourist destination in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Earlier known as Kullantipeetha, the town of Kullu has its several references in Ramayana, Mahabharata and other Hindu scriptures. Kullu is regarded as the oldest state valley after Kashmir and Kangra valley. According to Mythology Manu landed at a place in the Kullu region and lived there the next some days. That particular place of his abode is presently known as Manali which is believed to be come from the name Manualaya which literally means the home of Manu.

Kullu valley was once a significant place for Buddhist. It once contained a Buddhist Stupa built by Ashoka. The region also was home to twenty Buddhist monasteries with more than one thousand monks. There were also some fifteen Hindu temples which suggest that the people of both communities were coexisting there peacefully.

Prior to the rule of British the region was under the control of Pal dynasty who revered the goddess Hidimba. Presently the goddess is worshipped as the main deity of the region. It was in 1846 that the region was annexed to British kingdom. British continued to rule the region until India got independence in 1947. After the independence Kullu earlier was the subdivision of Kangra district. In the year 1963 Kullu was made a separate district. Kullu was earlier in Punjab state and it was in the year 1966 that Kullu was included in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Kalaripayattu

Culture of Kolhapur