Cultural Diversity in India society rule

culture

1. Cultural Diversity

2. Perception of 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. 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’

3. Indian Family Structure The Indian family is considered strong, stable, close, resilient, and enduring. Historically, the traditional, ideal and desired family in India is the joint family . Joint family ideally consists of three or four patrilineally related generations, all living under one roof, working, worshiping, eating, and cooperating together in communally beneficial social and economic activities

4. Patrilineal joint families include men related through the male line, along with their wives and children. The young married women live with their husband’s relatives after marriage, but they retain important bonds with their natal families as well. Usually , the oldest male member is the head in the joint Indian family system

5. With urbanisation , economic development and western influence, India has witnessed a break up of traditional joint family into more nuclear-like families, much like population trends in other parts of the world . The traditional large joint family in India, in the 1990s, accounted for a small percent of Indian households, and on average had lower per capita household income . In recent years, India’s largest cities have grown at twice the rate of its small towns and villages, with many of the increases due to rural-urban migration.

6. The Indian family is by and large patriarchal in structure. In a patriarchal family set up, all male members, that is, husband, elder brother and father, perform duties like decision making for the rest of the family, and their physical and moral protection. This patriarchal set up is changing slowly towards equalitarian interaction among the educated, urban middle classes, and also among some rural set ups.

7. Unfortunately in India, still male children are desired more than female children and on average, they are given special privileges. Male children are raised to be assertive, less tolerant, independent, self-reliant, demanding, and domineering. Females , in contrast, are socialized from an early age to be self-sacrificing, docile, accommodating, nurturing, altruistic, adaptive, tolerant, and religious, and to value family above all. 

8. Arranged marriages have long been the norm in Indian society. The people involved in the fixing of arranged marriage can be parents, match making agents, matrimonial sites, trusted relatives, family friends, etc . Most people are surprised to know that India has the lowest divorce rate compared to any country across the world. This is due to the fact that most Indians are traditional and respectful of their culture. Hinduism did not recognise divorce till the late 50’s when the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 came into existence. Inter-caste marriages were governed by the Special Marriages Act 1954.

9. Sex and sexuality issues are not openly discussed, sex education is not readily available, interrelationships with the opposite sex are discouraged, and premarital sex is frowned upon. In the traditional Indian family, communication between parents and children tends to be onesided . Children are expected to listen, respect, and obey their parents.

10. During Vedic period, Indian women who once enjoyed equal status with men in all aspects of life, lost their position and dignity in medieval period, after the Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent who brought purdah to Indian society.

11. Indian Marriages Hindu marriage joins two individuals for life, so that they can pursue dharma (duty), artha (possessions),  kama (physical desires), and moksha (ultimate spiritual release) together. The regional, religious, cultural and traditional diversity calls in for a variety of customs and rituals being followed in different Indian marriages. Though the feeling and fervor behind all the weddings is the same yet you will find differences in rituals, ceremonies and traditions in different parts of India. 

12. Greetings in India Hindus fold their hands in the  namaste  greeting and touch their forehead as a sign of respect. To perform a proper namaste , one should hold his or her palms together, with the fingertips at chin, level and nod rather than bow and say "  Namaste .“ "  Namaste " literally means "I bow to thee” or “I honor the godhead within.” The gesture is a sign of respect and is used by men and women when meeting members of the same or opposite sex.

13. It is similar to praying gesture performed before an image of a deity at a temple. The degree of bowing in a namaste is often determined by the caste of the person addressed. A person of low caste is expected to raise his hands high and bow deeply to a person of high caste while a person of high caste often barely acknowledges a person of low caste.  Muslims shake hands and say "  Salaam " or  Salaam al- eikum . Sikhs show their respect by saying the name of the person they are greeting followed by "  Sat Sri Akal ." Sometimes they follow the handshake by touching their forehand or heart or both.  

14. Westernized Indian males often shake hands with one another and with foreign male visitors. Westernized Indian females often shake hands with one another and with foreign visitors. Handshakes tend be on the limp side. Sometimes Indians of the same sex hug one another. "  Ram! Ram!  is an invocation of a Hindu deity often used to hail a friend on the street.  Indians generally don't shake hands with or even touch members of opposite sex.

15.  In some formal situations—at welcoming ceremonies for VIPs, important events—visitors are welcomed with garlands of marigolds or other flowers draped around their neck. If this should ever happen to you, you should wear the flowers for a while and then give them to somebody to hold. You should never casually drop them or leave them behind.

16. Hindu Festivals Date – 2018 Lohri 13-Jan Makar Sankranti 14-Jan Pongal 14-Jan Vasant Panchami 22-Jan Thaipusam 31-Jan Maha Shivaratri 13-Feb Holika Dahan 01-Mar Holi 02-Mar

17. Jain Festivals  Date – 2018 Deep Diwali 22-Nov Mahamastak Abhishek 17-Feb Mahavir Jayanti 29-Mar Paryushan 07-Sep

18. Chaitra Navratri 18-Mar Ugadi /Telugu New Year 28-Mar Gangaur Festival 20-Mar Mewar Festival 18-Mar Ram Navami 25-Mar Mahavir Jayanti 29-Mar Hanuman Jayanti 31-Mar Rath Yatra 14-Jul Guru Purnima 27-Jul Onam 15-Aug Raksha Bandhan 26-Aug

19. Kumbh Mela 29-Aug Janmashtami 02-Sep Ramlila 08-Sep Ganesh Chaturthi 12-Sep Brahmotsavam 10-Oct Pitr Paksh 24-Sep Rambarat 08-Oct Navratra 10-Oct

20. Dussehra 19-Oct Maharishi Valmiki jayanti 24-Oct Karva Chauth 28-Oct Dev Uthani Ekadashi 19-Nov Dhanteras 05-Nov Diwali 07-Nov Govardhan Puja 08-Nov Bhai Dooj 09-Nov Chhath Puja 11-Nov

21. Muslim Festivals Date – 2018 Barawafat 11 December, Milad-Un-Nabi 20-Nov Giaravahin Sharif 22-Jan Hazarat Ali’s Birthday 29-Mar Shab E Miraj 12-Apr Shab-e-Barat 30-Apr Jamat-Ul-Vida 14-Jun Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid) 14-Jun Id- ul - Zuha ( Bakrid or Eid Ul-Adha ) 21-Aug Muharram 21-Sep

22. Sikh Festivals Date – 2018 Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti 05-Jan Lohri 13-Jan Holla Mohalla 02-Mar Sodal mela 15-Sep Guru Ramdass Ji Birthday 09-Oct Guru Nanak Jayanti 23-Nov Guru Purab 23-Nov

23. Christian Festivals Date – 2018 Good Friday 30-Mar Easter 01-Apr Christmas 25-Dec Buddhist Festivals Date – 2018 Losar 16-Feb Buddha Purnima 22-May Hemis Gompa 23-Jun Ullambana 25-Aug

24. Indian Food Bengali Food Bengali cuisine is appreciated for its fabulous use of panchphoron , a term used to refer to the five essential spices, namely mustard, fenugreek seed, cumin seed, aniseed, and black cumin seed. The specialty of Bengali food lies in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors.  Gujarati Food The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes. Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and each dish has an absolutely different cooking style. 

25. Kashmiri Food Kashmiri food that we have today in the restaurants has evolved over the years. Highly influenced by the traditional food of the Kashmiri pundits, it has now taken some of the features of the cooking style adopted in Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan.  Mughlai Cuisine Mughlai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines, whose origin can be traced back to the times of Mughal Empire. Mughlai cuisine consists of the dishes that were prepared in the kitchens of the royal Mughal Emperors. Indian cuisine is predominantly influenced by the cooking style practiced during the Mughal era. 

26. Punjabi Food The cuisine of Punjab has an enormous variety of mouth-watering vegetarian as well as non vegetarian dishes. The spice content ranges from minimal to pleasant to high. Punjabi food is usually relished by people of all communities. In Punjab, home cooking differs from the restaurant cooking style.  Rajasthani Food The cuisine of Rajasthan is primarily vegetarian and offers a fabulous variety of mouthwatering dishes. The spice content is quite high in comparison to other Indian cuisines, but the food is absolutely scrumptious. Rajasthanis use ghee for cooking most of the dishes. Rajasthani food is well known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets.  South Indian Cuisine The cuisine of South India is known for its light, low calorie appetizing dishes. The traditional food of South India is mainly rice based. The cuisine is famous for its wonderful mixing of rice and lentils to prepare yummy lip smacking dosas , vadas , idlis and uttapams .

27. State/UT Animal Bird Andhra Pradesh Blackbuck Indian roller Arunachal Pradesh Mithun Great hornbill Assam One-horned rhinoceros White-winged wood duck Bihar Ox House sparrow Chhattisgarh Wild buffalo Hill myna Delhi Nilgai House sparrow Goa Gaur Flame throated bulbul Gujarat Asiatic lion Greater flamingo Haryana Blackbuck Black francolin Himachal Pradesh Snow leopard Western tragopan

28. Jammu & Kashmir Hangul Black necked crane Jharkhand Elephant Koel Karnataka Elephant Indian roller Kerala Elephant Great hornbill Madhya Pradesh Swamp deer Asian paradise flycatcher Maharashtra Giant squirrel Yellow-footed green pigeon Manipur Sangai Mrs. Hume's pheasant Meghalaya Clouded leopard Hill myna Mizoram Serow Mrs. Hume's pheasant

29. Nagaland Mithun Blyth's tragopan Odisha Sambar Indian roller Puducherry Squirrel Asian koel Punjab Blackbuck Northern goshawk Rajasthan Camel Great Indian bustard Sikkim Red panda Blood pheasant Tamil Nadu Nilgiri tahr Emerald dove Telangana Deer Indian roller Tripura Phayre's langur Green imperial pigeon Uttarakhand Musk deer Himalayan monal Uttar Pradesh Swamp deer Sarus crane West Bengal Fishing cat White-breasted kingfisher

30. Indian Dress Culture

31. ASSAM The clothing of Assam is as vibrant as it is varied. With several different tribes hailing from the region, there is a range of different  ethnic clothing worn in Assam . Most of these are variations of the  Mekhela , worn by women, and  dhoti , worn by men. The women of the  Bodo Tribe  wear  Mekhela paired with a chadar  while women of the  Thai Phake Tribe  wear a striped girdle called   Chiarchin . Many of the traditional wear in the state is made of the various kinds of silk exclusively produced in the region.  Silks such as Paat , Eri and Golden Muga  are used to make  Sarees and Mekhelas

32. Kolkata The women of Bengal wear  Sarees  of various materials such as  silk, Taant Cotton, chiffon,  etc. The most popular modern draping method of Sarees originates from the  British Capital of Kolkata .  White Saree with red border  is worn during many  religious festivals  and are made of cotton. The men of  Kolkata wear Panjabi with Pajama or Dhoti . They are usually made of silk or cotton.

33. Uttar Pradesh The most common of the  traditional clothing of Uttar Pradesh is Salwar Kameez  worn by the women. The distinctive style of  bottom wear called Churidar  originates from this state. They also wear   Sarees with various embellishments . The men of Uttar Pradesh wear  Kurta and Pajama  along with headgear such as  Topi  and  Pagr i .  Sherwanis are worn by men during festivals and special occasions.

34. Gujarathi Women in  Gujarat traditionally wear   Chaniyo  and Choli , wearing embellished and embroidered   Ghagra Choli  and   Lehenga Choli  for religious festivals such as  Navratri .  Dupattas  are worn as veils and are called  Odhni . The men wear  Churidar Pajamas and Kurta , paired with  vibrant turbans  for formal as well as casual occasions.

35. Punjab Ensembles such as  Salwar Kameez , ones featuring  Churidar , are worn by the women of Punjab as well.  Patiala Salwars originate from this state. The styles of this state feature  scarves, or Dupattas , that contrast the color of the rest of the ensemble. The women of the state also wear  Ghagra  while the men wear  Kurta Pajamas  that sometimes feature the  Churidar style  as well. They also wear headgear such as  Pagri . Punjab is known for its distinctive style of shoes,  Juti ,  that has been adopted by the rest of the country for formal occasions.

36. Maharashtra Sarees , paired with Choli , are the ethnic clothing of women in Maharashtra. The men of the state wear  Dhoti , paired with  Pheta . Their headdresses are made of cotton, silk or wool and are called  Pagadi .

37. Jammu and Kashmir Being a state that is so varied in communities and religion,  Jammu and Kashmir  is home to a variety of different  fashion . Women in  Jammu and Kashmir wear Pherans ,  which have different variations for  Hindu  and  Muslim  women. While the Hindu version has narrow sleeves, the Muslim version is characterized by its broad knee length sleeves. Hindu women pair these with a headdress called  Taranga  while Muslim women either wear  Abaya  or a headdress exclusive to the state that is tied around the head and pinned. The men wear   Pherans  meant for them with  Turbans . The traditional clothing of  Jammu and Kashmir  is known for featuring bright contrasting color combinations

38. Karnataka The  traditional clothing of the women of Karnataka is Saree . Karnataka , being the most popular supplier of silk in the country, produces   Sarees made of Kanchipuram and Kanjivaram Silk , as well as those made of a variety of  brocades  and  chiffons . The men of the state wear   Lungi paired with Angavastram .

39. Kerala The most well known of  Kerala’s ethnic wear is the Mundu . Worn mostly by men, the Mundu is the state’s  version of a Lungi . There are both formal and casual versions of this clothing as well various versions for women. These often have work done on them, with wedding wear having the most intricate  crystal embellishments . Sarees are also worn by women in this state and are often made of  Kanchipuram Silk or Benarasi Silk  and embellished in a similar way.

40. Delhi Ethnic clothing for women in Delhi mostly consists of  Salwar Kameez  in its different variants and  fashion  style. They often feature  Zardozi embroidery  as well as influences from many other parts of India. The men wear  Pajama with Kurta or Sherwani . Due to the  metropolitan nature of Delhi , ethnic clothing from all parts of the country is seen here.

41. Colonial Architecture Like all other aspects, colonization of Indian also had an impact on architecture style. With colonization, a new chapter in Indian architecture began. The Dutch, Portuguese and the French made their presence felt through their buildings but it was the English who had a lasting impact on architecture .

42. Indo Islamic Architecture The medieval period saw great developments in the field of architecture. With the coming of Muslims to India, many new features came to be introduced in buildings. The development of Muslim Style of Architecture of this period can be called the Indo-Islamic Architecture or the Indian Architecture influenced by Islamic Art. The Indo-Islamic style was neither strictly Islamic nor strictly Hindu.

43. Ancient Architecture Indian architecture is as old as the history of the civilization. The earliest remains of recognizable building activity in the India dates back to the Indus Valley cities. Among India's ancient architectural remains, the most characteristic are the temples, Chaityas , Viharas , Stupas and other religious structures .

44. Cave Architecture The cave architecture in India is believed to have begun in the third century BC. These caves were used by Buddhist and Jain monks as places of worship and residence. Initially the caves were excavated in the western India. Some examples of this type of cave structure are Chaityas and Viharas of Buddhists.

45. Rock Cut The Rock-cut structures present the most spectacular piece of ancient Indian art specimen. Most of the rock-cut structures were related to various religious communities. In the beginning, remarkable Buddhist and Jain monuments were produced in areas such as Bihar in the east and Maharashtra in the west.

46. Temple Architecture In ancient India, temple architecture of high standard developed in almost all regions. The distinct architectural style of temple construction in different parts was a result of geographical, climatic, ethnic, racial, historical and linguistic diversities. Ancient Indian temples are classified in three broad types. This classification is based on different architectural styles, employed in the construction of the temples.