Narrator: India.
Birthplace of a civilization that is over 5,000 years old.
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A land where ancient traditions live side by side
With a dynamic, modern society.
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This spectacular aerial journey captures
This unique nation's incredible sights from above,
For the first time.
It shows how ancient festivals still dictate the rhythms of life here.
And how indians are forging new traditions today.
From the drive to make democracy work for everyone
In a nation of over a billion people,
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To ensuring ancient skills and techniques are preserved for future generations.
Our bird's eye view reveals how this nation is embracing
It's past to forge its future.
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India.
Home to 1.3 billion people.
A secular nation where multiple faiths have thrived over centuries.
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This is the birthplace of the world's oldest surviving religion,
Hinduism.
Scholars believe the roots of hinduism lie in ancient texts
Written over 4,000 years ago.
In india, water has been worshipped since time immemorial.
And no river is more sacred to india's nearly
One billion hindus than the river ganga,
Known outside of india as the river ganges.
This river has shaped the religious landscape
Of india for thousands of years,
And still exerts its influence over millions of indians.
One of the most revered parts of the river is at prayagraj.
448 miles southwest of india's capital city, delhi.
This is the confluence of three holy rivers,
The ganga, the yamuna and the mythical saraswati,
The last one an invisible river existing in mythology.
Hindus believe the holy water of these rivers washes away all mortal sins.
This belief makes prayagraj one of the four holy sites
Chosen to host the world's largest religious gathering.
The kumbh festival.
Every six years, millions of pilgrims flock here in search of salvation.
When they come, a temporary city, two thirds the size of manhattan,
Springs up on these riverbanks.
And, with this many people packed into an area of over 12 square miles,
Stampedes are always a risk.
With previous kumbh melas reporting a number of deaths
Due to overcrowding, the task of ensuring the safety
Of the pilgrims falls on the 20,000 police officers
Deployed at prayagraj, especially for this festival.
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How is it possible to monitor the welfare of the 220 million people
Expected to attend the 50-day long kumbh?
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Deputy inspector general k.P. Singh
Pioneers a modern solution to this ancient problem.
Singh: This time we have used more than 1,000 plus cameras,
So we try to incorporate the technology with the best people.
So it was a new experiment altogether.
Narrator: In the control room, singh's team uses artificial intelligence
To analyze the live feeds from over 1,000 fixed and drone cameras
Positioned around the festival.
This allows them to watch over pilgrims
Across the whole site around the clock.
The technology uses an algorithm which measures the number of pilgrims
In real time, in specific areas, and analyses crowd densities.
It raises soft alerts for more than three people
Per square meter and strong alerts for more than five.
This helps inform the team about the areas in danger of becoming overcrowded.
Singh uses this data to instruct his teams on the ground which manage crowds.
Eliminating bottle necks and averting injury.
After 50 days of festivities,
Darkness falls on the last day of the kumbh festival.
The pilgrims launch hundreds of burning lamps into the sacred rivers,
Ganga and yamuna.
High above, the drone technology takes to the night sky for a special display.
They spell out the phrase "kumbh 2019"
Together with the three colors of the indian national flag.
This modern-day spectacle marks the end
Of the largest religious gathering in the world.
From traditions that date back over a millennia,
To the millennials ringing in the new year with a modern celebration.
India is a land of festivity.
Come December, a festival begins to heat up on the world-famous
Beaches of goa, on the west coast.
Asia's largest edm festival, sunburn.
An event where fans, world famous djs and top edm performers
From around the globe come together for a larger than life celebration.
After sunburn takes over the beaches of goa at the end of the year,
Another festival begins in the spring
That unites indians of almost all faiths.
We travel from the southwest to the northern region of india.
It is a warm afternoon in the town of nandgaon.
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A view from the air reveals a group of young men winding their way
Through the narrow passages in the town.
A crowd of women waits for them in the main square.
Each woman is armed with a long stick called the laathi.
When the men arrive, the women use their lathis to beat them.
This symbolic act is part of a day long celebration in nandgaon
That marks the beginning of the festival of holi every year.
It's early evening in the northern town of nandgaon,
Where a unique ritual is playing out.
This is lathmar holi.
It began as a retelling of a famous hindu legend.
A love story between the lord krishna and the maiden, radha.
Krishna is believed to have blue colored skin.
The story goes that krishna and his friends visit the village where radha lives.
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Krishna smothers her in pigment to try and change the color of her skin.
Radha fights back.
She and her friends beat krishna with sticks and drive him from the town.
The modern inhabitants of nandgaon,
The village where lord krishna spent his childhood,
Recreate this tale of a youthful prank
In their playful stick beating ritual.
Nandgaon erupts in a kaleidoscope of color.
Neighbors throw handfuls of pigment at each other
To celebrate the ancient legend.
Age, gender and nationality disappear under a blanket of colors.
Scenes like these can be found across the subcontinent
During the week of holi.
As people come together in a fun celebration
That coincides with the start of spring.
Like the festivals which bind together india's citizens,
The desire for progress transcends borders of states and culture.
The indian space program is a source of great pride for the nation.
From its launchpad in the city of sriharikota,
The indian space research organization has sent
Missions to both the moon and mars.
The modern drive to build vessels to explore
New horizons springs from the nation's ancient roots.
Once source of this passion for engineering can be found
On india's west coast, in the city of veraval.
Indians have fished from boats here for centuries.
A bird's eye view reveals that veraval is still a busy fishing port today.
Many of these boats are made from fiberglass.
A few are wooden, built by carpenters
Who used techniques honed over centuries.
Mansur kureshi comes from a long line of shipbuilders
That has always made boats the old way.
Narrator: Mansur builds wooden boats of all shapes
And sizes for high profile clients with traditional tastes.
His vessels range from 40 to over 1,500 tonnes in capacity.
This week, the pressure is on mansur and his team.
They must complete this huge fishing boat, called a dhow,
In the next seven days before the high tide arrives.
Miss the tide because of delays and mansur
Will have to push back delivery to his client by a month.
Narrator: Today mansur must check the boat's hull one final time
To make sure it's ready for launch.
Every wooden panel and every joint must be perfect.
Defects must be repaired.
Mansur's team cannot risk late delivery to the client.
The hull of a vessel like this one starts
As a single piece of wood called a keel.
Craftsmen make a frame to support the boat's shape
Using large planks of wood.
Then, the last layer of wood,
Which makes the outer skin of the boat, is fitted on.
Mansur's team of skilled workers uses only nuts
And bolts to put this dhow together.
Mansur finishes his inspection.
The boat's hull is perfect.
The build is right on schedule for floating and delivery to the client.
In an age when india has the technology to launch missions into space,
This nation is careful to preserve the unique techniques
Pioneered by its past.
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the industrialized world.
And its population is predicted to increase 20 percent
To 1.5 billion by 2030.
This growth will stretch india's energy infrastructure
To its limits.
To meet future demand, india has an ambitious plan to boost the amount
Of energy it generates from renewable sources
By 40 percent before the end of the decade.
Kamuthi, in the southern state of tamil nadu,
Receives an average of more than seven hours of sunshine every day,
Making it an ideal place to build such an epic solar farm.
And this monumental power plant is best seen from above.
Two and a half million solar panels combine
To generate 648 megawatts of clean energy.
Enough to power about 150,000 homes,
This is one of the largest solar power plants on earth.
Anil: The entire project is spread across 2,500 acres of land,
If I have to give an analogy that land means 950 olympic sized football grounds.
This plant has 38,000 pile foundations and 30,000 structural steel.
Narrator: The solar farm needs to run at close
To maximum efficiency to meet demand.
For this, anil gupta and his team must make sure nothing prevents
The sunlight from reaching the panels photovoltaic cells.
Anil assigns a team of 20 grass cutters to remove tall foliage
That could throw shadows over the solar panels.
But the hot, rural location creates another big problem.
Dust.
Layers of dust settle on panels each day which could impede efficiency.
Using water jets to clean the panels takes too long and is too labor intensive.
So, anil deploys a solution.
25 giant robotic mops.
Each spins at 100 revolutions per minute.
A solar powered motor moves them vertically up and down a rectangular
Frame attached to a row of solar panels.
Once a section is cleaned, the frame slides along automatically
To the neighboring panel.
It takes one mop around two hours to clean a row of solar panels 803 feet long.
The robotic mops work every day to ensure this solar farm captures the natural,
Renewable resources india needs to meet its energy demands.
Anil: India is poising to become a part of
Five trillion us dollar economy by the year 2025.
And today we are at 2.7, so we have to grow.
As india grow our power demand will also grow.
And to reduce our carbon footprints,
We believe solar project is one of the most promising area.
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Narrator: India is one of the youngest nations on earth
With more than 65 percent of its population under the age of 35.
They honor the past while bringing innovation to all areas of modern life,
From business and technology to sport and big events.
Building new traditions for the future.
One of the most extreme sports events takes place
Over 2,000 miles from kamuthi,
In india's northern most territory.
Ladakh is one of the most remote places on earth.
A view from above reveals a cold desert landscape
Of high plains and deep valleys.
In the distance are the peaks of the mighty himalayas.
The youngest mountain range on the planet.
This unforgiving terrain is now the setting
For one of the world's toughest sporting events.
It's 2:50 a.M.
A group of athletes stands at the start line of the khardung la challenge.
Started in 2012, it's an ultra-marathon held across
Some of the most breathtaking yet grueling landscapes of ladakh.
Shabbir hussain was born and raised in this region.
He has won the challenge two years running.
Can he make it three in a row today?
Narrator: The khardung la challenge is a 44.7 mile ultra-marathon
Across some of the world's highest and most demanding terrains.
It is a new sporting festival for the 21st century.
Shabbir hussain has emerged victorious two years in a row,
Today he hopes to make it three.
Narrator: 3 a.M.
Race official: Three, two, one, go!
Narrator: The race begins.
The challenge is divided into four legs,
As it winds its way through the mountains
Between the villages of khardung and leh.
The first leg stretches 20 miles and climbs 4,580 feet
To the top of khardung la mountain.
Shabbir must run up one of the highest paved roads in the world
In almost complete darkness to get there.
Narrator: Our bird's eye view captures the spectacular
And rugged terrain that lies ahead.
During the winter months, temperatures here drop to about 0° fahrenheit
Such extreme weather conditions sometimes isolate ladakh
From the rest of the country.
The marathon is held in September, just before winter.
Here in khardung la,
The temperature is approximately 23° fahrenheit
Shabbir begins the second leg of the race.
It's a distance of 8.8 miles to the village of south pullu.
Thick patches of ice nestle in the folds of the rough mountainsides.
The atmosphere here contains 50 percent less oxygen than at sea level.
Goba: The biggest challenge that the runners feel,
Specially people who are coming from outside ladakh, is the elevation.
You know, running at over 17,000 feet it's absolutely, you know,
Something people will not imagine.
Narrator: By the time shabbir starts the third leg of the race,
High altitude, low oxygen and extreme temperature changes
Push some athletes past their limits.
Runner: Water?
Water?
Narrator: In extreme circumstances, athletes can develop
Life threatening forms of acute mountain sickness.
Shabbir stays focused on his objective.
His final destination is leh, 8.3 miles away.
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At the finish line in leh market, a crowd is waiting.
Shabbir and a fellow competitor are neck and neck
When they turn into the home straight.
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6 hours and 53 minutes after he set off, shabbir hussain makes history.
Becoming the first person ever to win the khardung la challenge
Three years in a row.
Narrator: This race welcomes competitors from across the world.
120 athletes out of the 142 that started the race complete the challenge.
They can take pride in finishing one of the world's highest ultra-marathons.
India is the second-most populous nation in the world.
While nearly one third of its population lives in cities,
A majority live in over half a million villages.
And once every five years, rural and urban india come together
To elect a federal government.
From the high mountains to the dense forests in the country,
No matter where one resides, the election commission of india
Makes sure that each registered voter can cast their vote.
The forest of gir in the western state of gujarat
Is one of the most wild and remote places in all of india.
An abundance of deciduous trees stretches to the horizon.
This temple is the only visible sign
Of human habitation for miles around.
Home to 69-year-old priest, bharatdas darshandas.
He lives here, alone, with only the wildlife for company.
Narrator: His social interactions are limited to a house help.
And the occasional devotee who visits this forest temple bearing gifts.
Of grain, fruit and vegetables, which are his main source
Of sustenance through the year.
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The priest's solitude is broken once every five years,
By an event that unites the whole of india in one purpose.
The indian national election.
In 2019, around 900 million indians, aged 18 and over,
Have the right to decide who should govern the country.
That number of eligible voters is larger than the combined population
Of the united states and the european union.
It makes india the world's largest democracy.
And voting is a right that mahant bharatdas darshandas holds dear.
Narrator: To ensure that the lone priest can cast his vote,
These election commission officials travel deep
Inside the gir forest to prepare a polling station.
They are part of an army of election commission employees who set up
Over one million voting booths across the country.
Making sure that there is a voting booth erected for every 1.2 miles of land.
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Mahant bharatdas darshandas casts his vote.
The election official marks his nail with indelible ink,
A device to ensure no one can vote twice.
The priest then starts his journey back to the temple,
Continuing his life of solitude.
Delhi.
A modern metropolis with a history that dates back more than 2,000 years.
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A city that has been built and rebuilt nine times.
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It has served as a national capital for over 100 years.
Every year on the 26th of January, delhi celebrates india's traditions
And achievements in a show right in the heart of the city.
This is the republic day parade.
Over 100,000 spectators' line the rajpath, a ceremonial street,
To watch india's grandest procession.
Nearly 40 million indians watch it on live tv.
Along with the different regiments from the indian armed forces,
There is one unit that really stands out.
The camel contingent of the indian border security force.
Every camel contingent soldier considers riding
In the republic day parade a great honor.
Narrator: The unit must ride the 4.2 miles of the procession route
In perfect formation.
Guaranteeing a good show rests on ensuring that only the best camels
And riders take part in india's most important parade.
354 miles southwest of delhi is the camel contingent's barracks at jodhpur.
Here, deputy commander ghanshyam singh puts both soldiers
And camels through a rigorous training program
To find the most accomplished man-animal teams.
Physical fitness is critical to ensuring a flawless performance.
All riders and camels must demonstrate they're parade ready.
Narrator: Soldiers and camels must also master gymnastic routines
To show they have the poise and precision to ride in tight formations.
Riders strengthen this bond with their camels
Through a meticulous routine that they follow.
Every day, riders remove sand from their camel's eyes,
Scrub their coats and remove pests.
Regular rest for animals and trainers is important too.
An ethical concern for some animal activists,
The use of camels in the republic day parade
Remains an important cultural ceremony for the indian armed forces.
The best camels and riders win their place in the parade
By showcasing their skills in a specially choreographed display.
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Every camel and rider must perform impeccably.
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The smallest hesitation is enough to cost them their place in the parade.
The pressure is on.
After months of training, the camels and riders transition
Seamlessly between formations.
Every man-animal team keeps perfect time.
Not one misses a step or a cue.
With the training complete, the camel contingent is all set
To March at the next republic day parade.
Flying over india, our bird's eye view reveals a nation moving forward
While embracing its unique traditions.
Artificial intelligence is helping to make sacred festivals
Safer for millions of people.
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Master craftsmen are keeping ancient construction techniques
Alive for future generations.
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This is a land where the achievements of the past
Are still inspiring the indians of today.
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