Indian Culture

Indian Culture

"Unity in diversity" - these are not just words, but something that are highly applicable to a country like India that is incredibly rich in culture and heritage. A few quotations or statements cannot describe the pedestal that India holds on to the world map because of its colourful and unique culture. From the times of Mauryas, Cholas and Mughals to the period of British Empire, India has always been famous for its traditions and hospitality. The warmth in the relations and euphoria in celebrations make the country stand out distinctively in the global fraternity. The country's liveliness and generosity attract a number of tourists to its vibrant culture which is an amalgamation of religions, festivals, food, art, crafts, dance, music and many other subtle things. Everything, from the culture and values to customs, rituals and traditions, is 'special' in this 'Land of Gods'.

Indian Values-Subtle, Apt and Eternal

"The Indian way of life provides the vision of the natural, real way of life. We veil ourselves with unnatural masks. On the face of India are the tender expressions which carry the mark of the Creator's hand". .....George Bernard Shaw

The canvas of India's culture is vast and has hues and vibrancy of all sorts. The country itself has been a living example of tolerance, cooperation and non-violence over so many centuries and continues to do so even today. Some of its various hues can be found in its different ideologies:

Tolerance and Non-Violence: India is one country in the world that has the distinction of being tolerant and not resorting to arms and ammunition in the first place. Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha movement is a testimony to this. Swami Vivekananda also aptly enunciated this fact in his speech delivered at Chicago on 11 September 1893, "the most ancient order of monks in the world, the Vedic order of sannyasins, a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance..."

Secularism: India has also been at the forefront of being a secular country. Freedom of worship and practice of religion is the manifestation of harmonious existence of diverse cultures in India. No religion is looked down upon or uplifted either. In fact, all religions, despite their cultural differences, come together in the times of calamity to show their 'unity in diversity'.

Cultural and Social Bond: India's history is replete with instances of cooperation and brotherhood. In spite of having suffered oppression from different foreign conquerors at different periods of history, its culture and oneness has not taken a beating and continued to remain intact.

Indian Culture - Traditional yet Contemporary

Culture plays a pivotal role in the development of any country. A culture of a nation represents its values, goals, practices and shared beliefs. The Indian culture has never been rigid and that's why it is surviving with pride in the modern era. It timely imbibes the qualities of various other cultures and comes out as a contemporary and acceptable tradition. That is what is unique about the Indian culture, it moves on with the time. There are certain things about India that are famous worldwide, like:

Ways of Greeting

India is a land with varied greeting customs. Different religions here have different ways to express their greetings to others. For instance, in major Hindu families "Namaste" is the most common way of greeting the outsiders and elders. Both palms placed together and raised below the face not only show the respect for others but also makes the greeter feel the affection in return. Similarly, Muslims greet by saying "Adab", which involves raising of right hand towards the face in such a manner that the palm is inwards and is in front of the eyes with the finger tips almost touching the forehead. It is for sure that no 'hello' or 'hi' can create that magic.

Flower Garlands

Indian people are also famous for welcoming with flower garlands. In Indian marriages, the exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom is a ritual in itself. People also offer flower garlands to Gods and Goddesses during their prayers.

Indian Marriages

Time has changed but the lavishness has always been an integral and indispensable part of Indian marriages. In India, marriage is still taken as an institution where not two people but two families get united. So, it always calls for boisterous celebrations full of music and dance. Within India, every caste and community has its own way of performing the rituals of marriage. In Hindu marriages, while Punjabis perform the 'Roka' ceremony in weddings, Sindhis perform the 'Berana'. But most common of all is the ritual of Hast Milap ceremony popularly called Paanigrahan Sanskaar.

Muslims also have their own special way of celebrating the marriage ceremony, popularly called Nikaah. During the auspicious occasion, the groom's family gives mehar (nuptial gift) to the bride. Parsis plant a young mango tree in a pot during the marriage ceremony. This ceremony is famous as 'Madhavsaro' ceremony. Every state has its own special way of celebrating the marriage ceremony.

Indian Dresses

Beauty of Indian woman lies in the clothes she wears. Very traditional and ethnic yet contemporary Indian saris are famous worldwide. It is worn with a blouse that covers the upper part of the body. In rural parts, an outfit called ghagara-choli is very much popular. Choli is like a short blouse that covers the upper part of the body and ghagara is like a long skirt. In order to have a graceful and complete look, women folk carry a duppatta that is a soft and delicate material of reasonable length thrown over the shoulder.

Though with slight variations, salwar kameez is a dress that is famous in every part of India. This attire contains two pieces - kameez, which is like a long top covering upper part of the body, and salwar is like trousers. Like ghagara choli, salwar kameez is also complemented by a dupatta.

For men, there is no dearth of variety. From dhoti kurta to shirt pants, an Indian man prefers everything that fits well and looks good. But, traditionally you can see north Indians wearing kurta pajama, dhoti kurta or sherwani on formal celebrations whereas south Indian men prefer lungi with shirt.

Indian Jewellery

Wearing jewellery has a long tradition in India. No doubt it reflects in the fact that jewellery is purchased in India not only for personal use but also for gifting purposes on many auspicious occasions. Besides, it is also passed from generation to generation in the Indian society, thus exemplifying the importance and uniqueness of Indian jewellery in Indian culture.