Customer Reviews

The Soul Of India

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This video is an informative and enjoyable 90-minute tour of India. The itinerary includes the Himalayas, the Ganges River, New Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), the Taj Mahal, and the deserts of Rajasthan. You'll visit Hindu temples and the palaces of Maharajas; you'll see camels and tigers; and you'll learn about the caste system, the railway system, Gandhi, Bollywood, and the religions of India. (I use short excerpts of this video in teaching Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Jainism to undergraduates.)

I'd recommend this video to armchair travelers and anyone who wants to learn a little bit about the geography and culture of India.

Also recommended: "Ancient India," a 50-minute overview of the history of India through the 17th century.

As a pure-bred Indian living aboard, I often have to explain the culture, the climate and the contradictions of India to people that have never ventured there. I checked out many accounts by various people, but none matches the through understanding and sincere presentation as does the Soul of India. This DVD makes a perfect gift or giveaway. Thanks Rick Ray for presenting my country to me, and to the world.

So, I actually got this for my son for a project on India,
and was amazed by the journey that Rick Ray took me on.
It was educational, historical, eye -opening, funny, insightful and a definite must watch by anyone considering going to India! Even if a trip is not on the horizon, it is definitely worth the money to buy this tape and see India.

It's a good product for people that are only searching for a general view of India. But if you are looking for something that goes deeply on India's soul, I would advice BBC series " Ganges " to see natural world or the marvellous BBC series " The story of India " from Michael Wood .
Even the BBC series " India " from Sanjeev Bhaskar is better , because it's made with a lot of humour . I think there is nothing like the British to speak about and to show India . Because their feelings, their nostalgia for India are enormously deep . You could see that on the colour pattern wich they use to film the women's dresses of Rajasthan , or the desert of Thar , or even more on the way they film the Taj Mahal from Yamuna's river .

I am an Indian: born Indian and raised and worked in various regions of India. I moved to US after my PhD. I have read/ seen many works on India and I think nothing comes close to this video in its accuracy. I was unable to spot a single error in its understanding of the enormous complexity of India. The video exposes the negatives as well as the positives of India. Yes, it is not thorough: it does not cover all major aspects of India and in not enough depth, but it is unbiased! I find it rare for a western book or video on India. And I really doubt if anyone could do a better job than Ray of introducing India in such a short time. The video shows many facets of India, while admitting it is impossible to capture everything, and yet covering enough to allow the viewer to understand why that is so.
Thank you very much for doing such a great job! Finally I know how I can introduce India to my non-Indian friends in an unbiased manner and yet quickly enough.

Beautiful! Shows India now, but talks about the outside (historical) influences that have impacted it's culture.

This is a very, very fine film. The quality, both technical and content-wise, is excellent. There are many really gorgeous frames, sweeping vistas and intimate portraits of individuals. But more than pretty pictures, this film is an excellent overview and introduction to India. It is very even-handed, not overly broad and light like many films of the travel-related genre. Anyone contemplating traveling to or beginning study of India would be well advised to begin here.

Although a little "grainy" at times & the film production not as good as a high budget Hollywood film, this would have to be one of the most interesting & fascinating travel films I have seen. The narration is excellent.
It is fairly long & I watched it over two nights which was probably a good way to take in the whole film.
It was a fine balance between history, travel, fact & figures. it was most helpful to have each area/city/village highlighted briefly on a map (to help people like me who weren't familar with the country).
Occasionally, there were peoples faces in shadow (possibly due to the camera angle facing the sun), but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film.
And most importantly, for the armchair traveller, the wonderful feeling of being right there on the street (or countryside) experiencing every sight & sound as it appeared on the journey.

The film is a nice armchair trip. Good visuals, nice travel log. Gets the essence, the spirit of the place, but I would not say the "soul". However, it does point up the place of religion and ritual in the culture and the spiritual side of its natives.

If you want to know about what India has to offer with regard to culture and history, get this DVD. It's well made and the maker obviously knows what he is talking about. Recommended!