Colorful India

A glorious land rich in culture and heritage

           The culture of India refers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life in India and its people. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures is spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.

           Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC, and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago.

             India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people. 

         India's rich diversity has inspired many writers to pen their perceptions of the country's culture. India's family structure and cultural traditions within its family structure, has been a subject of numerous studies. In India's history, and currently in certain regions, a joint family plays a significant role in the Indian culture. For generations, India has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system where in the members of family live together sharing and caring each other.

       Indian population speak a wide variety of languages such as Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Urdu  to name a few.

           The varied and rich wildlife of India has had a profound impact on the region's popular culture. India is home to several well known large mammals and has many National parks and Reserves with a varied collection of birds and animals.
       Indian food is as diverse as India. Indian cuisines use numerous ingredients, deploy a wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques and culinary presentation. From salads to sauces, from vegetarian to meat, from spices to sensuous, from breads to desserts, Indian cuisine is invariably complex. India is known for its love for food and spices, and it plays a role in everyday life, as well as in festivals. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the varied demographics of the country.

        India, being a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals of various religions. Popular religious festivals include the Hindu festivals of Navratri, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan, and Dussehra. Several harvest festivals such as Sankranthi, Pongal, sankaranti and Onam, "Nuakhai" are also fairly popular. Also different states celebrate local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics.

          Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate and rural/urban settings. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as saree for women and dhoti for men. Indian women perfect their sense of charm and fashion with make up and ornaments. Bindi, mehendi, earrings, bangles and other jewelry made with gold, silver or other regional stones and gems are common.

           The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the oldest preserved and well-known epics of India.

             Music is an integral part of India's culture. One of the ancient Indian systems classifies musical instruments into four groups according to 4 primary sources of vibration: strings, membranes, cymbals, and air. India's classical music tradition is known today in 2 distinct styles - Carnatic and Hindustani music. 

             India has had a long romance with the art of dance. Nātyaśāstra (Science of Dance) and Abhinaya Darpana (Mirror of Gesture) are two surviving sanskrit documents.

             Indian drama and theatre has a long history alongside its music and dance. Kalidasa's plays like Shakuntala and Meghadhootha are some of the old and renowned dramas.

        The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre-historic times, the petroglyphst it was common for households to paint their doorways or indoor rooms where guests resided.  A freshly made coloured flour design (Rangoli) is still a common sight outside the doorstep of many (mostly South Indian) Indian homes. Madhubani painting, Mysore painting, Rajput painting, Tanjore painting, Mughal painting are some notable Genres of Indian Art.

           Indian architecture encompasses a multitude of expressions over space and time, constantly absorbing new ideas. The result is an evolving range of architectural production that nonetheless retains a certain amount of continuity across history.

         Indian cultural heritage is rich, diverse and all around us. The pure Indian heritage links people to their places, their homes and their land. It encompasses landscapes, ecosystems, all native plants and animals, archaeological sites, buildings, artworks, people - the lot. Indian heritage is both rich and diverse, shaped by millions of years of natural forces and over thousands of years of efforts of Indians.

  If we want a rich and diverse heritage to boast of in the future, we need to look after it as a 

community right now. The basic message is “We are guardians of our heritage”. Respect and Nurture our culture and heritage.