Fish as Food of Bengal:
(i) Traditional food habits are generally based on locally available items of food.
(ii) Bengal is a riverine plain which produces plenty of rice and fish.
(iii) These two items figure prominently in the menu of even poor Bengalis. Fishing has always been an important occupation in Bengal.
Bengali literature contains several references to fish. Terracotta plaques on the walls of temples and Viharas (Buddhist monasteries) depict scenes of fish being dressed and taken to the market in baskets.
(iv) Brahmanas were not allowed to eat non-vegetarian food.
(v) The popularity of fish in the local diet made the Brahmanical authorities relax this prohibition for
the Bengali Brahmanas.
(vi) The Brithaddharma purana, a thirteenth-century Sanskrit text from Bengal, permitted the local
Brahmanas to eat certain varieties of fish.

The rulers of Rajasthan cherished the ideals of the heroes who fought valiantly:
(i) Stories about them were recorded in poems and songs which were recited by specially trained minstrels.
(ii) These preserved the memories of heroes and were expected to inspire others. The women do find a place in the stories, sometimes as the "cause" for conflicts, as men fought to "win" or "protect" the women.
(ill) Women are also depicted as following their heroic husbands in both life and death-the stories of
"sati" or "self immolation" have been preserved.

Pirs were spiritual leaders having supernatural powers. They also functioned as teacher and adjudicators.
When early settlers in Bengal sought some order and assurance in the unstable condition of the new settlements, pirs favoured them and gave them full moral support.
People viewed them as respectful figures. The cult of pirs became very popular and their shrines can
be found everywhere in Bengal.

The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram was established in the ninth century in the south-western
parts of the peninsula, parts of present-day Kerala.
It is expected that Malayalam was spoken in this area.
The rulers introduced the Malayalam language and script in their inscriptions.

Important features of the culture of my region:
(i) My region has mixed culture.
(ii) Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian culture can be seen here.
(iii) Guru Ka Tal is a famous Gurudwara of Sikh culture.
(iv) St. Peters Church and Tin ka Girja are the oldest Church. The 'Tin ka Girja' was made by Akbar and he regularly visited there.
(v) Many old temples are also present here.
(vi) There are some mosques also built during the Delhi Sultan's period.
(vii) Famous Jama Masjid is also present here which was made during Mughal period.
(viii) Mehrab, dome, minaret, windows, screens and imposing facades are the main features of the
buildings.
(ix) Kathak is the main dance form of my region.
(x) Agra Gharana and Ghazal Gayki is also famous all over the world.
(xi) Rajasthani and Persian styles of painting is the main feature of painting of my region.

The temple of Jagannath at Puri gained importance as a centre of pilgrimage. Its authority in social and political matters also increased. Hence conquerors tried to establish control over the temple. They felt that this would make their rule acceptable to the local people.

Till the 18th century, people in Europe thought themselves as subjects of a particular empire. But from the late 18th century, people began to identify themselves as members of a particular community which spoke a common language like French or German. In the early 19th century, some countries like Rumania adopted Rumanian language instead of Greek for school books and Hungarian was taken as official language in Hungary. These developments created the consciousness among the people that each linguistic community was a separate nation. In this way the concept of nation-state emerged in Europe.

The cultural traditions were closely linked with the ideals and aspirations of the rulers. From about the 8th century, most of the present day state of Rajasthan was ruled by various families. Prithviraj was one such ruler.
These rulers often cherished the ideals of the heroes who fought courageously, often choosing death on the battlefield rather than, defeat. Stories about the Rajput heroes were recorded in poems and songs, which were recited by specially trained minstrels.

Pirs were spiritual leaders having supernatural powers. They also functions as teachers and adjudicators. When early settlers in Bengal sought some order and assurance in the unstable conditions of the new settlements, pirs favoured them and gave them full moral support.
People viewed them as respectful figures. The cult of pirs became very popular and their shrines can be found everywhere in Bengal.

Most important features of our culture and our region:
1. Hindu culture
2. Worship of Gods and Goddesses
3. Celebrations of numerous festivals the year round
4. Huge temples
5. Bhajan and kirtans
6. Paintings of Gods and Goddesses

Temples were built in Bengal because of the following reasons
1. Increase in religious faith.
2. Mosques had already been built.
3. Powerful people wanted to demonstrate their power and proclaim their piety.
4. Low social groups also participated In the temple building.
5. New economic opportunities to people also helped in setting up of temple.
6. Local deities gained recognition from the Brahmanas, then their images began to be housed in different temples.

Minstrels used to recite poems and songs which depicted the stories of the Rajputs heroic deeds. By reciting such songs minstrels inspired others to follow the examples of Rajputs. Ordinary people were also attracted by these stories. These stories have great emotions, loyalties, friendship, love, valour, anger etc.

The temple of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacnolapuram are in Tamil Nadu were built by Rajaraja and Rajendra Chola are architectural and sculptural marvels of India. The temples were surrounded by a huge fort-like wall, the outer walls are made up of burnt bricks, are about six to eight feet wide. The entrance is called 'Mahaduvar' which leads to the inner court. Jagannatha temple of Puri, Odissa, was built in 12th century by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the 'Srichakra' of Vishnu. The Temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and rising to 214 feet. The pyramidal hall roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandaps, rise in step towards the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.

The second category of texts was not written down and circulated orally and can not be precisely dated. These Narh literature are songs of Maynamati and Gopichandra.
Which are different versions of the identical story. They are particularly famous in Eastern Bengal, where the influence of Brahmanism is weak.

In June, 2014, the state of Telangana was formed out of the area of state of Andhra Pradesh as a new 29th state of India. Hyderabad will continue to serve as the joint capital city for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for a period of not more than ten years. Telangana had been ruled by many great dynasties like Sathavahanas, Vakataka, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Mughals, Qutub Shahis, Asaf Jahi.