Introduction to India
India is set apart from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas, the highest, youngest and still evolving mountain chain on the planet. The subcontinent as it is rightly called, touches three large water bodies and is immediately recognizable on any world map. This thick, roughly triangular peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south.
India holds virtually every kind of landscape imaginable. An abundance of mountain ranges and national parks provide ample opportunity for eco-tourism and trekking, and its sheer size promises something for everyone. From north to south India extends a good 2000 miles (3200 km), where the island nation of Sri Lanka seems to be squeezed out of India like a great tear, the synapse forming the Gulf of Mannar.
Himalayas, the world's highest mountain chain and Nepal as its neighbouring country dominate India's northern border. Following the sweeping mountains to the northeast, its borders narrow to a small channel that passes between Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, then spreads out again to meet Burma in the "eastern triangle." Apart from the Arabian Sea, its western border is defined exclusively by Pakistan.
North India is the country's largest region begins with Jammu and Kashmir, with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to the lake country and forests near Srinagar and Jammu.
Moving south along the Indus river, the North becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile plains of Punjab to the west and the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh and the Ganges river valley to the East. Cramped between these two states is the capital city, Delhi.
The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and part of the massive, central state of Madhya Pradesh constitute West India. Extending from the Gujarat peninsula down to Goa, the west coast is lined with some of India's best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush with rainforests. The Western Ghats separate the verdant coast from the VindyaMountains and the dry Deccan plateau further inland.
India is the home of the sacred River Ganges and the majority of Himalayan foothills, East India begins with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, which comprise the westernmost part of the region. East India also contains an area known as the eastern triangle, which is entirely distinct. This is the last gulp of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.
India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan in the north and ends with Cape Comorin. The states in South India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, a favourite leisure destination. The southeast coast, mirroring the west, also rests snugly beneath a mountain range---the Eastern Ghats.
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian (and, in turn, the Eurasian) continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean. Historically forming the whole of greater India, the region now comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh it often also includes Nepal, Bhutan, and offshore Sri Lanka.
Physical geography
Geographically, the Indian subcontinent is a peninsular region in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas on the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east, and which extends southward into the Indian
Ocean with the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. The area covers about 4.4 million km² (1.7 million mi²), which is 10% of the Asian
continent or 2.4% of the world's land surface area.
Most of this region rests on a distinct tectonic plate, the Indian Plate (the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate), and is isolated from the rest of Asia by mountain barriers. It was once a small continent before colliding with the Eurasian Plate about 50-55 million years ago and giving birth to the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau. In addition, it is also home to a variety of geographical features, such as glaciers, rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands.
The Indian subcontinent generally comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; it often also includes Nepal, Bhutan, and offshore Sri Lanka and may include the Maldives. Overall, it accounts for about 34% of Asia's population (or over 16.5% of the world's population) and is home to a vast array of peoples.
Historically, the region comprised the whole of greater India or the territories of the
British Raj. This would also include the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which was part of the British Indian princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but is now administered as a part of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang. A booklet published by the United States Department of State in 1959 includes Afghanistan, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Nepal, and Pakistan as part of the "Subcontinent of South Asia". When the term Indian Subcontinent is used to mean South Asia, the islands countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives are sometimes not included, while Tibet and Nepal are included and excluded intermittently, depending on the context.
The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are used by some academics
interchangeably. Due to political sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms
"South Asian Subcontinent",the "Indo-Pak Subcontinent", or simply "South Asia"or "the Subcontinent" over the term "Indian subcontinent". According to some academics, the term "South Asia" is in more common use in Europe and North America, rather
than the terms "Subcontinent" or the "Indian Subcontinent”.
Secondary Economic Activities
Industry
The iron and steel industry in India is over 122 years old. However, a concerted effort to increase the steel output was made only in the early years of planning. Three integrated steel plants were set up at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela. Later two more steel plants, at Bokaro and Vishakhapatnam, were set up.
The automobile industry in India is the ninth largest in the world with an annual production of over 2.3 million units in 2008. In 2009, India emerged as Asia's fourth largest exporter of automobiles, behind Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
India has emerged as one of the world's largest manufacturers of small cars. According to New York Times, India's strong engineering base and expertise in the manufacturing of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has resulted in the expansion of manufacturing facilities of several automobile companies like Hyundai Motors, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki
In 2008, Hyundai Motors alone exported 240,000 cars made in India. Nissan Motors plans to export 250,000 vehicles manufactured in its India plant by 2011. Similarly,
General Motors announced its plans to export about 50,000 cars manufactured in India
by 2011.
In September 2009, Ford Motors announced its plans to setup a plant in India with an annual capacity of 250,000 cars for US$500 million. The cars will be manufactured both for the Indian market and for export. The company said that the plant was a part of its plan to make India the hub for its global production business. Fiat Motors also announced that it would source more than US$1 billion worth auto components from India.
Culture of India
The culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, Golden age, Muslim conquests and European colonization.
India's great diversity of religious practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia. The various religions and
traditions of India that were created by these amalgamations have influenced other parts of the world too.
Religion
India is the birth place of Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Dharmic religions, also known as Indian religions, is a major form of world religions next to the Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest religions respectively, with around 1.4 billion followers altogether.
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 most of its people.
The religion of more than 80.4% of the people is Hinduism. Islam is practiced by around 13.4% of all Indians. Sikhism, Jainism and especially Buddhism are influential not only in India but across the world. Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Bahá'í Faith are also influential but their numbers are smaller. Despite the strong role of religion in Indian life, atheism and agnostics also have visible influence along with a self-ascribed tolerance to other faiths.
Society
According
to Eugene M. Makar, the traditional Indian culture is defined by relatively
strict social hierarchy. He also mentions that from an early age, children are
reminded of their roles and places in society. This is reinforced by the fact that many
believe gods and spirits have integral and functional role in determining their
life. Several differences such as religion divide culture. However, far more powerful division is the traditional Hindu bifurcation into non-polluting and polluting occupations. Strict social taboos have governed these groups for thousands of years. In recent years, particularly in cities, some of these lines have blurred and sometimes even disappeared. Nuclear family is becoming central to Indian culture. Important family relations extend to as far as gotra, the mainly patrilinear lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. In rural areas it is common that three or four generations of the family live under the same roof. Patriarch often resolves family issues.
Among developing countries, India has low levels of occupational and geographic mobility. People choose same occupations as their parents and rarely move geographically in the society. During the nationalist movement, pretentious behavior was something to be avoided. Egalitarian behaviour and social service were promoted while nonessential spending was disliked and spending money for ‘showing off’ was deemed a vice. This image continues in politics with many politicians wearing simple looking / traditionally rural
clothes.
Family
India for ages has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. It’s a system under
which even extended members of a family like one’s parents, children, the children’s spouses and their offspring, etc. live together. The elder-most, usually the male member is the head in the joint Indian family system who makes all important decisions and rules, whereas other family members abide by it.
Although women and men are equal before the law and the trend toward gender equality has been noticeable, women and men still occupy distinct functions in Indian society.Woman's role in the society is often to perform household works and pro
bono community work. This low rate of participation has ideological and historical reasons. Women and women's issues appear only 7-14% of the time in news programs. In most Indian families, women do not own any property in their own names, and do not get a share of parental property. Due to weak enforcement of laws protecting them, women continue to have little access to land and property. In many families, especially rural ones, the girls and women face nutritional discrimination within the family, and are anaemic and malnourished. They still lag behind men in terms of income and job status. Traditional Hindu art, such as Rangoli (or Kolam), is very popular among Indian women. Popular and influential woman's magazines include Femina, Grihshobha and Woman's Era.
In Hinduism, cow is regarded as a symbol of ahimsa (non-violence), mother goddess and bringer of good fortune and wealth.[16] For this reason, cows are revered in
Hindu culture and feeding a cow is seen as an act of worship.
Festivals
India, being a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals
of various religions. The three national holidays in India, the Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti, are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm across India. In addition, many states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular religious festivals include the Hindu
festivals of Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dussehra. Several harvest festivals, such as Sankranthi, Pongal and Onam, are also fairly popular. Certain festivals in India are celebrated by multiple religions. Notable examples include Diwali which celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and Buddh Purnima which is celebrated by Buddhists and Hindus. Islamic festivals, such Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan, are celebrated by Muslims across India. Adding colors to the culture of India, the Dree Festival is one of the tribal festivals of India celebrated by the Apatanis of the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, which is the easternmost state of this country.
Cuisine
A variety
of Indian curries and vegetable
dishes.
The
multiple families of Indian cuisine are characterized by their sophisticated
and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Each family of this cuisine is
characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Though a
significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian, many traditional Indian dishes
also include chicken, goat, lamb, fish, and other meats.
Food is an
important part of Indian culture, playing a role in everyday
life as well as in festivals. Indian cuisine varies from region to region,
reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse subcontinent. Generally, Indian cuisine can be
split into five categories: North, South, East,West Indian and
North-eastern India.
Despite
this diversity, some unifying threads emerge. Varied uses of spices are an integral part of food
preparation, and are used to enhance the flavor of a dish and create unique
flavors and aromas. Cuisine across India has also been influenced by various
cultural groups that entered India throughout history, such as
the Persians,
Mughals, and European colonists. Though the tandoor originated in Central Asia, Indian tandoori dishes, such as chicken
tikka made with Indian ingredients, enjoy widespread
popularity.[18]
Indian
cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the globe.[19] Historically, Indian spices and herbs were one of the most sought after trade
commodities. The spice trade between India and Europe led to
the rise and dominance of Arab traders to such an extent that European
explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, set out to find
new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery.[20] The popularity of curry, which
originated in India, across
Asia has often led to the dish being labeled as
the "pan-Asian" dish.[21]
Clothing
Traditional Indian clothing for women are the saris and also Ghaghra Cholis
(Lehengas). For men, traditional clothes are the
Dhoti, pancha / veshti or Kurta. Delhi is considered to be India's fashion capital, housing the
annual Fashion weeks. In some village parts of India,
traditional clothing mostly will be worn. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Pune are all places for people who like to shop. In
southern India the men wear long, white sheets
of cloth called dhoti in English and in Tamil.
Over the dhoti, men wear shirts, t-shirts, or anything else. Women wear a
sari, a long sheet of colourful cloth with patterns. This is
draped over a simple or fancy blouse. This is worn by young ladies and woman.
Little girls wear a pavada. A pavada is a long skirt worn under a
blouse. Both are often gaily patterned. Bindi is part of the women's make-up. Traditionally, the red
bindi (or sindhur) was worn only by the married Hindu women, but now it has
become a part of women's fashion. A bindi is also worn by some as their third
eye. It sees what the others eyes can't and protect your brain from the outside
and the sun. [22]Indo-western clothing is the fusion of Western
and Subcontinentalfashion. Churidar, Dupatta, Gamchha, Kurta, Mundum
Neriyathum,
Sherwani, uttariya are among other clothes.
Music
The music
of India includes multiples varieties of
religious, folk, popular, pop, and classical music. The oldest preserved
examples of Indian music are the melodies of the Samaveda that are still sung in certain Vedic
Śrauta sacrifices. India's classical music tradition is heavily influenced by Hindu
texts. It includes two distinct styles: Carnatic and Hindustani music. It is noted for the use of
several Raga, melodic modes. it has a history spanning
millennia and it was developed over several eras. It remains instrumental to
the religious inspiration, cultural expression and pure
entertainment.
Dance
Indian dance too has diverse folk and
classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances
are the bhangra of the Punjab,
the bihu
of Assam, the chhau of Jharkhand and Orissa, the ghoomar of Rajasthan, the dandiya and garba of Gujarat, the Yakshagana of Karnataka and lavani of Maharashtra and Dekhnni of Goa. Eight dance forms, many with
narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama.
These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu,
kathak
of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh,
manipuri of Manipur, odissi of the state of Orissa and the sattriya of Assam.[31][32]
Kalarippayattu or Kalari for short is considered one of the world's oldest
martial art.
It is preserved in texts such as the Mallapurana. Kalari and other later formed
martial arts have been assumed by some to have traveled to China, like Buddhism, and eventually developing into
Kung-fu. Other later martial arts are Gatka, Pehlwani and Malla-yuddha.
India is set apart from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas, the highest, youngest and still evolving mountain chain on the planet. The subcontinent as it is rightly called, touches three large water bodies and is immediately recognizable on any world map. This thick, roughly triangular peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south.
India holds virtually every kind of landscape imaginable. An abundance of mountain ranges and national parks provide ample opportunity for eco-tourism and trekking, and its sheer size promises something for everyone. From north to south India extends a good 2000 miles (3200 km), where the island nation of Sri Lanka seems to be squeezed out of India like a great tear, the synapse forming the Gulf of Mannar.
Himalayas, the world's highest mountain chain and Nepal as its neighbouring country dominate India's northern border. Following the sweeping mountains to the northeast, its borders narrow to a small channel that passes between Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, then spreads out again to meet Burma in the "eastern triangle." Apart from the Arabian Sea, its western border is defined exclusively by Pakistan.
North India is the country's largest region begins with Jammu and Kashmir, with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to the lake country and forests near Srinagar and Jammu.
Moving south along the Indus river, the North becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile plains of Punjab to the west and the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh and the Ganges river valley to the East. Cramped between these two states is the capital city, Delhi.
The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and part of the massive, central state of Madhya Pradesh constitute West India. Extending from the Gujarat peninsula down to Goa, the west coast is lined with some of India's best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush with rainforests. The Western Ghats separate the verdant coast from the VindyaMountains and the dry Deccan plateau further inland.
India is the home of the sacred River Ganges and the majority of Himalayan foothills, East India begins with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, which comprise the westernmost part of the region. East India also contains an area known as the eastern triangle, which is entirely distinct. This is the last gulp of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.
India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan in the north and ends with Cape Comorin. The states in South India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, a favourite leisure destination. The southeast coast, mirroring the west, also rests snugly beneath a mountain range---the Eastern Ghats.
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian (and, in turn, the Eurasian) continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean. Historically forming the whole of greater India, the region now comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh it often also includes Nepal, Bhutan, and offshore Sri Lanka.
Physical geography
Geographically, the Indian subcontinent is a peninsular region in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas on the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east, and which extends southward into the Indian
Ocean with the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. The area covers about 4.4 million km² (1.7 million mi²), which is 10% of the Asian
continent or 2.4% of the world's land surface area.
Most of this region rests on a distinct tectonic plate, the Indian Plate (the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate), and is isolated from the rest of Asia by mountain barriers. It was once a small continent before colliding with the Eurasian Plate about 50-55 million years ago and giving birth to the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau. In addition, it is also home to a variety of geographical features, such as glaciers, rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands.
The Indian subcontinent generally comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; it often also includes Nepal, Bhutan, and offshore Sri Lanka and may include the Maldives. Overall, it accounts for about 34% of Asia's population (or over 16.5% of the world's population) and is home to a vast array of peoples.
Historically, the region comprised the whole of greater India or the territories of the
British Raj. This would also include the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which was part of the British Indian princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but is now administered as a part of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang. A booklet published by the United States Department of State in 1959 includes Afghanistan, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Nepal, and Pakistan as part of the "Subcontinent of South Asia". When the term Indian Subcontinent is used to mean South Asia, the islands countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives are sometimes not included, while Tibet and Nepal are included and excluded intermittently, depending on the context.
The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are used by some academics
interchangeably. Due to political sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms
"South Asian Subcontinent",the "Indo-Pak Subcontinent", or simply "South Asia"or "the Subcontinent" over the term "Indian subcontinent". According to some academics, the term "South Asia" is in more common use in Europe and North America, rather
than the terms "Subcontinent" or the "Indian Subcontinent”.
Secondary Economic Activities
Industry
The iron and steel industry in India is over 122 years old. However, a concerted effort to increase the steel output was made only in the early years of planning. Three integrated steel plants were set up at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela. Later two more steel plants, at Bokaro and Vishakhapatnam, were set up.
The automobile industry in India is the ninth largest in the world with an annual production of over 2.3 million units in 2008. In 2009, India emerged as Asia's fourth largest exporter of automobiles, behind Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
India has emerged as one of the world's largest manufacturers of small cars. According to New York Times, India's strong engineering base and expertise in the manufacturing of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has resulted in the expansion of manufacturing facilities of several automobile companies like Hyundai Motors, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki
In 2008, Hyundai Motors alone exported 240,000 cars made in India. Nissan Motors plans to export 250,000 vehicles manufactured in its India plant by 2011. Similarly,
General Motors announced its plans to export about 50,000 cars manufactured in India
by 2011.
In September 2009, Ford Motors announced its plans to setup a plant in India with an annual capacity of 250,000 cars for US$500 million. The cars will be manufactured both for the Indian market and for export. The company said that the plant was a part of its plan to make India the hub for its global production business. Fiat Motors also announced that it would source more than US$1 billion worth auto components from India.
Culture of India
The culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, Golden age, Muslim conquests and European colonization.
India's great diversity of religious practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia. The various religions and
traditions of India that were created by these amalgamations have influenced other parts of the world too.
Religion
India is the birth place of Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Dharmic religions, also known as Indian religions, is a major form of world religions next to the Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest religions respectively, with around 1.4 billion followers altogether.
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 most of its people.
The religion of more than 80.4% of the people is Hinduism. Islam is practiced by around 13.4% of all Indians. Sikhism, Jainism and especially Buddhism are influential not only in India but across the world. Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Bahá'í Faith are also influential but their numbers are smaller. Despite the strong role of religion in Indian life, atheism and agnostics also have visible influence along with a self-ascribed tolerance to other faiths.
Society
According
to Eugene M. Makar, the traditional Indian culture is defined by relatively
strict social hierarchy. He also mentions that from an early age, children are
reminded of their roles and places in society. This is reinforced by the fact that many
believe gods and spirits have integral and functional role in determining their
life. Several differences such as religion divide culture. However, far more powerful division is the traditional Hindu bifurcation into non-polluting and polluting occupations. Strict social taboos have governed these groups for thousands of years. In recent years, particularly in cities, some of these lines have blurred and sometimes even disappeared. Nuclear family is becoming central to Indian culture. Important family relations extend to as far as gotra, the mainly patrilinear lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. In rural areas it is common that three or four generations of the family live under the same roof. Patriarch often resolves family issues.
Among developing countries, India has low levels of occupational and geographic mobility. People choose same occupations as their parents and rarely move geographically in the society. During the nationalist movement, pretentious behavior was something to be avoided. Egalitarian behaviour and social service were promoted while nonessential spending was disliked and spending money for ‘showing off’ was deemed a vice. This image continues in politics with many politicians wearing simple looking / traditionally rural
clothes.
Family
India for ages has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. It’s a system under
which even extended members of a family like one’s parents, children, the children’s spouses and their offspring, etc. live together. The elder-most, usually the male member is the head in the joint Indian family system who makes all important decisions and rules, whereas other family members abide by it.
Although women and men are equal before the law and the trend toward gender equality has been noticeable, women and men still occupy distinct functions in Indian society.Woman's role in the society is often to perform household works and pro
bono community work. This low rate of participation has ideological and historical reasons. Women and women's issues appear only 7-14% of the time in news programs. In most Indian families, women do not own any property in their own names, and do not get a share of parental property. Due to weak enforcement of laws protecting them, women continue to have little access to land and property. In many families, especially rural ones, the girls and women face nutritional discrimination within the family, and are anaemic and malnourished. They still lag behind men in terms of income and job status. Traditional Hindu art, such as Rangoli (or Kolam), is very popular among Indian women. Popular and influential woman's magazines include Femina, Grihshobha and Woman's Era.
In Hinduism, cow is regarded as a symbol of ahimsa (non-violence), mother goddess and bringer of good fortune and wealth.[16] For this reason, cows are revered in
Hindu culture and feeding a cow is seen as an act of worship.
Festivals
India, being a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals
of various religions. The three national holidays in India, the Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti, are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm across India. In addition, many states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular religious festivals include the Hindu
festivals of Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dussehra. Several harvest festivals, such as Sankranthi, Pongal and Onam, are also fairly popular. Certain festivals in India are celebrated by multiple religions. Notable examples include Diwali which celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and Buddh Purnima which is celebrated by Buddhists and Hindus. Islamic festivals, such Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan, are celebrated by Muslims across India. Adding colors to the culture of India, the Dree Festival is one of the tribal festivals of India celebrated by the Apatanis of the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, which is the easternmost state of this country.
Cuisine
A variety
of Indian curries and vegetable
dishes.
The
multiple families of Indian cuisine are characterized by their sophisticated
and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Each family of this cuisine is
characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Though a
significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian, many traditional Indian dishes
also include chicken, goat, lamb, fish, and other meats.
Food is an
important part of Indian culture, playing a role in everyday
life as well as in festivals. Indian cuisine varies from region to region,
reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse subcontinent. Generally, Indian cuisine can be
split into five categories: North, South, East,West Indian and
North-eastern India.
Despite
this diversity, some unifying threads emerge. Varied uses of spices are an integral part of food
preparation, and are used to enhance the flavor of a dish and create unique
flavors and aromas. Cuisine across India has also been influenced by various
cultural groups that entered India throughout history, such as
the Persians,
Mughals, and European colonists. Though the tandoor originated in Central Asia, Indian tandoori dishes, such as chicken
tikka made with Indian ingredients, enjoy widespread
popularity.[18]
Indian
cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the globe.[19] Historically, Indian spices and herbs were one of the most sought after trade
commodities. The spice trade between India and Europe led to
the rise and dominance of Arab traders to such an extent that European
explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, set out to find
new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery.[20] The popularity of curry, which
originated in India, across
Asia has often led to the dish being labeled as
the "pan-Asian" dish.[21]
Clothing
Traditional Indian clothing for women are the saris and also Ghaghra Cholis
(Lehengas). For men, traditional clothes are the
Dhoti, pancha / veshti or Kurta. Delhi is considered to be India's fashion capital, housing the
annual Fashion weeks. In some village parts of India,
traditional clothing mostly will be worn. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Pune are all places for people who like to shop. In
southern India the men wear long, white sheets
of cloth called dhoti in English and in Tamil.
Over the dhoti, men wear shirts, t-shirts, or anything else. Women wear a
sari, a long sheet of colourful cloth with patterns. This is
draped over a simple or fancy blouse. This is worn by young ladies and woman.
Little girls wear a pavada. A pavada is a long skirt worn under a
blouse. Both are often gaily patterned. Bindi is part of the women's make-up. Traditionally, the red
bindi (or sindhur) was worn only by the married Hindu women, but now it has
become a part of women's fashion. A bindi is also worn by some as their third
eye. It sees what the others eyes can't and protect your brain from the outside
and the sun. [22]Indo-western clothing is the fusion of Western
and Subcontinentalfashion. Churidar, Dupatta, Gamchha, Kurta, Mundum
Neriyathum,
Sherwani, uttariya are among other clothes.
Music
The music
of India includes multiples varieties of
religious, folk, popular, pop, and classical music. The oldest preserved
examples of Indian music are the melodies of the Samaveda that are still sung in certain Vedic
Śrauta sacrifices. India's classical music tradition is heavily influenced by Hindu
texts. It includes two distinct styles: Carnatic and Hindustani music. It is noted for the use of
several Raga, melodic modes. it has a history spanning
millennia and it was developed over several eras. It remains instrumental to
the religious inspiration, cultural expression and pure
entertainment.
Dance
Indian dance too has diverse folk and
classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances
are the bhangra of the Punjab,
the bihu
of Assam, the chhau of Jharkhand and Orissa, the ghoomar of Rajasthan, the dandiya and garba of Gujarat, the Yakshagana of Karnataka and lavani of Maharashtra and Dekhnni of Goa. Eight dance forms, many with
narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama.
These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu,
kathak
of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh,
manipuri of Manipur, odissi of the state of Orissa and the sattriya of Assam.[31][32]
Kalarippayattu or Kalari for short is considered one of the world's oldest
martial art.
It is preserved in texts such as the Mallapurana. Kalari and other later formed
martial arts have been assumed by some to have traveled to China, like Buddhism, and eventually developing into
Kung-fu. Other later martial arts are Gatka, Pehlwani and Malla-yuddha.
