Indian Culture

From the times of Mauryas, Cholas, Mughals till 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 stands out distinctively in the clutter. The country's liveliness and generosity attract a number
of tourists. The cuisines, festivals, music, literature, and theatre everything is 'special' in this 'land of
gods'.
The Indian culture has never been rigid and that's why it's 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 unique about the Indian culture, it moves on with the time.
Way of Greeting
"Namaste", for an Indian it's a way common way of greeting outsiders and elders. Both palms placed
together and raised below the face not only show the respect for others but it also makes you feel the
affection in the greeting. 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 the Indian marriages the exchange
of garlands between bride and 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 Sanskar.

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 women 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 a version of sari, 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, which 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 a like a long top covering upper part of the body and salwar is like
trousers. Like ghagara choli, salwar kameez is also complemented by dupatta.

For the 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 Jewelry
Unique designs, artistic looks and creativity are always a part of Indian jewelry. Made up of gold and
silver, the jewelry actually represents the culture and tradition of India. In rural India, a resinous
incrustation called lac is used for the personal ornamentation. Specialty of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the lac
bangles and bracelets are worn and liked by the women of all states.

Without accessories, a car and a woman are always incomplete. From earrings, nose-rings, armlets,
necklaces to anklets and bracelets, Indian jewelry give a woman everything that she needs to enhance her
beauty.

Mehndi
Mehndi or henna is a kind of paste that is designed on the palms on the women on special occasions like
engagement, marriage or festive celebrations. The paste is applied for few hours or overnight and washed
when it gets dried completely. This gives reddish-brown color to the palms. In Indian marriages,
especially in the north, a special night is celebrated before the day of marriage in which mehndi is
designed on the palms of bridegroom and it is followed by some colorful dance and music. In certain
parts of India, mehndi is a special kind of ancient folk art.

India-Religiously Yours!
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Zoroastrian; one can find people of all religions here in
India. India is a secular state and every citizen enjoys an equal right of choosing and following a
particular religion. More than three fourth of Indian population belongs to Hindu religion and you can
find Hindu pilgrimages in every part of the country.

In northern part of India, you can visit various sacred religious places like Vaishno Devi, Amarnath,
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Haridwar and Varanasi and in the southern part of the country you can take the
blessings of God at the Sabrimala, Sringeri, Dakshineshwar-belur math, and Rameshwaram. If you are in
the northeast, you can go to the Kamrup temple that is located on the outskirts of Guwahati on the
nilachal hills. If you are roaming somewhere around Gujarat and interested in knowing about lord
Krishna, then you must visit Dwarkanath temple that is built at the site where Meera Bai gave up the
world. You can also visit Somnath temple that comprises one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

The Muslims have their pilgrimages like Dargah Sharief of Ajmer at Rajasthan and Dargah of Ajan Pir in
Assam. In northeast, there is Poa Mecca. It is believed that here a faithful Muslim can gain one fourth of
the spiritual enlightenment that could be gained at Mecca.

In Punjab, there are number of pilgrimages for Sikhs like Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, Tarn Taaran in
west of Amritsar, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and Dera Baba
Nanak in west of Gurdaspur. Hemkund Sahib, which is situated at an altitude of 4329 meters, is the
highest Gurudwara in the world. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, mediated here for years in the
mountains and here only he left his body to get united with Almighty.

Another pilgrimage of Sikhs is Manikaran Gurudwara that is situated in Himachal Pradesh and it is
famous for its Hot springs. It is believed that these springs carry uranium and other radioactive materials.
Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib in Maharashtra is another sacred religious place of
Sikhs. In India, you can also find a number of churches in every state. If you are in south, you can visit
Medak Church and Gundala church in Andhra Pradesh, Santa Cruz Basilica in Kochi, Kerela. Northern
India also has famous churches like St. Joseph's Church in Uttar Pradesh and Church of the Sacred Heart
in New Delhi. If you are enjoying the valleys of Himachal Pradesh, then you can get Jesus' blessings in
Christ Church and St. Michael's Cathedral at Shimla.

So many religions and so many pilgrimages but still people are united. It is just because of the Indian
values that bind people together. These values weave people together just like beads in a string.

Worshipping Nature
Day in India starts with Surya Namaskar. In this people offer water to the sun and enchant mantras and
prayers. Indians worship nature and that's what unique about its culture. In Hindu religion, trees and
animals are worshipped like gods. People believe in God and keep fast ('vrata') on every festival. They
offer morning's first fresh meal to cow and night's last meal to dog. Nowhere in the world one can find
such generosity.

All the religions here start the day with morning hymns and these rich values are inculcated into the kids
since childhood. Morning prayers and moral education is also a very important part of the education
system in India.
Performing Arts
Dance, drama, theatre or music, every art is unique in itself. In India, religions, mythology and classical
literature form the basis of most of the performing arts.

Indian classical dances like Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi and Kuchipudi mainly
follow the codes of natya shastra, mythology and classical literature and epics like Ramayana and
Mahabharta.

Another kind of performing art is theatre. Though the folk theatre prevails in each and every language and
region, the professional theatre is popular only in big urban areas or metropolitan cities. Uniqueness of
Indian theatre is the puppet show. For centuries, Puppet shows have been popular in creating awareness
about social issues in masses and inculcating the moral values of truth and honesty in the kids.

For Indians, music is to the soul what food is to the body. Since Vedic period it's been capturing the heart
and mind of every Indian. In the classical Indian music, there are basically two types of schools- the
Hindustani Music (North) and the Carnatic Music (South). 'Raga' arrangement of musical notes is the key
in the classical music. The Indian villages also have their special kind of music that carries colors of folk
tradition. Music of Indian movies is also liked by the masses.