INDIAN CULTURE

CONTENTS :-
1. HISTORY
2. DEMOGRAPHICS
3. RELIGION
4. PEOPLE AND CULTURE
HISTORY
ACCORDING TO CONSENSUS IN MODERN GENETICS 
ANATOMICALLY MODERN HUMANS FIRST ARRIVED ON THE
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT FROM AFRICA BETWEEN 73,000 AND
55,000 YEARS AGO. HOWEVER, THE EARLIEST KNOWN
HUMAN REMAINS IN SOUTH ASIA DATE TO 30,000 YEARS
AGO. SETTLED LIFE, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSITION
FROM FORAGING TO FARMING AND PASTORALISM, BEGAN
IN SOUTH ASIA AROUND 7,000 BCE. AT THE SITE
OF MERGER PRESENCE CAN BE DOCUMENTED OF THE
DOMESTICATION OF WHEAT AND BARLEY, RAPIDLY
FOLLOWED BY THAT OF GOATS, SHEEP, AND CATTLE. BY
4,500 BCE, SETTLED LIFE HAD SPREAD MORE WIDELY, AND
BEGAN TO GRADUALLY EVOLVE INTO THE INDUS VALLEY
CIVILIZATION, AN EARLY CIVILIZATION OF THE OLD WORLD,
WHICH WAS CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH ANCIENT
EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA. THIS CIVILIZATION FLOURISHED
BETWEEN 2,500 BCE AND 1900 BCE IN WHAT TODAY IS
PAKISTAN AND NORTH-WESTERN INDIA, AND WAS NOTED
FOR ITS URBAN PLANNING, BAKED BRICK HOUSES,
ELABORATE DRAINAGE, AND WATER SUPPLY.
HUMAN EVOLUTION IN AFRICA: ~200K
YEARS AGO
 A GOLDEN AGE FOR INDIA.
40% OF WORLD POPULATION AND CLOSE TO 50% OF WORLD GDP WAS
FROM ASHOKA. CONTINUES THE GREAT WORK OF HIS FATHER
BINDUSARA & GRANDFATHER CHANDRAGUPTA.
 DEMOGRAPHICS

INDIA IS THE SECOND MOST POPULATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

WITH NEARLY A FIFTH OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION. ACCORDING
TO THE 2019 REVISION OF THE WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS.
THE POPULATION STOOD AT 1,352,642,280.
BETWEEN 1975 AND 2010, THE POPULATION DOUBLED TO
1.2 BILLION, REACHING THE BILLION MARK IN 1998. INDIA IS
PROJECTED TO SURPASS CHINA TO BECOME THE WORLD'S MOST
POPULOUS COUNTRY BY 2024. IT IS EXPECTED TO BECOME THE
FIRST COUNTRY TO BE HOME TO MORE THAN 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE
BY 2030, AND ITS POPULATION IS SET TO REACH 1.7 BILLION BY
2050. ITS POPULATION GROWTH RATE IS 1.13%, DOWN FROM 2.3%
FROM 1972 TO 1983, RANKING 112TH IN THE WORLD IN 2017.
 The Country
Area:
3,287,590 sq km
Language:
Hindi is the national language and spoken by 30% of the people; there
are 17 official languages + English
Regional States and administrations
28 states and 7 union territories
Population: 1.06 billion
Major cities & population
•Mumbai (Bombay) 18,042,000 Religious Composition
•Kolkata (Calcutta) 12,900,000 • Hindu – 80%
•Delhi 11,680,000 • Muslims – 13.4%
•Hyderabad 6,833,000 • Christians – 2.33%
•Chennai (Madras) 6,639,000 • Sikhs – 1.84%
•Bangalore 5,544,000
• Buddhists – 0.76%
• Jains – 0.4 %
• Others – 1.27%
 India Facts…
Democracy
• World’s largest
• 100% Electronic Voting India Firsts
• First study of medicine - Ayurveda
Economy • Sanskrit – Closest living language to
• 2nd Fastest Growing
“proto-Indo-European”,
• 4th Largest (in terms of PPP)
the great-great-grandmother of English
Military • First Martial Art form – 200 BC
• 2nd Largest Army • concept of “Zero” – Aryabhatta, 499 AD
• 4th Largest Air Force • Chess – 500 AD
• First university – Takshila, 700 BC
Space
• Over 30 Satellites Launched
• Moon mission planned - 2007
 Religion in India

RELIGION IN INDIA IS CHARACTERIZED BY A DIVERSITY OF

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES. THE PREAMBLE OF THE INDIAN
CONSTITUTION STATES THAT INDIA IS A SECULAR STATE, ALTHOUGH
THERE WERE PLEAS GOING ON SUPREME COURT OF INDIA TO
REMOVE THE WORDS SECULAR AND SOCIALIST FROM
THE PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA. THE INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF FOUR OF THE WORLD'S
MAJOR RELIGIONS: NAMELY HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, JAINISM,
AND SIKHISM—COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS INDIAN RELIGIONS THAT
BELIEVE MOKSHA IS THE MOST SUPREME STATE OF
THE ĀTMAN (SOUL). ACCORDING TO THE 2011 CENSUS, 79.8% OF
THE POPULATION OF INDIA PRACTICES HINDUISM, 14.2% ADHERES
TO ISLAM, 2.3% ADHERES TO CHRISTIANITY, 1.72% ADHERES
TO SIKHISM, 0.7% ADHERES TO BUDDHISM, AND 0.37% ADHERES
TO JAINISM. ZOROASTRIANISM, YUNGDRUNG BON,
THE FAITH, SANAMAHISM, AND JUDAISM ALSO HAVE A HISTORY IN
INDIA, AND EACH HAS AT LEAST SEVERAL THOUSAND ADHERENTS
IN INDIA. [
 CASTE SYSTEM

Strict and distinct class system outlawed but still practiced.

A person is locked in their caste throughout this lifetime.
You are not to marry outside of this caste. Still largely
arranged.
Distinctive names, dress, and even language may distinguish
castes
 CASTE LEVELS

Brahman – traditional caste of priests, religious

teachers, and judges
Kshatriyas – traditional warrior and politician class
Vaisyas – Merchant class and land owning farmers
Shudras – common laborers
 PEOPLE AND CULTURE
INDIAN CULTURE IS THE HERITAGE OF SOCIAL
NORMS, ETHICAL VALUES, TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS, BELIEF
SYSTEMS, POLITICAL
SYSTEMS, ARTIFACTS AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT
ORIGINATED IN OR ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDIA SUB
CONTINENT. THE TERM ALSO APPLIES BEYOND INDIA TO
COUNTRIES AND CULTURES WHOSE HISTORIES ARE
STRONGLY CONNECTED TO INDIA BY IMMIGRATION,
COLONIZATION, OR INFLUENCE, PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH
ASIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA.
INDIA'S LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS, DANCE, MUSIC, ARCHITEC
TURE, FOOD AND CUSTOMS DIFFER FROM PLACE TO PLACE
WITHIN THE COUNTRY.
 NATIONAL PASTIMES
Cricket
• Came to India with the British. Played in stadiums as
well as street corners..
• Cricket stars in India – Sachin Tendulkar....compare to
Babe Ruth

Politics
• Average Indian very aware of politics
• Everyone has an opinion and likes to share…

Bollywood
• World’s largest film industry..over 1,000 films
produced annually
• Not a typical western movie…
 CULTURE
• Land of Diversity. Changes at every State border.. Food, dress varies by region

• Rich heritage, especially in the arts (dance, music)

• Cultural differences celebrated and increasingly accepted across regions / religions

• Strong western influence in the cities. Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, Calcutta

 FAMILY
STRUCTURE
• Traditional joint family structure; changing to single families

• Elders accorded a great deal of respect; close knit families

• Women making increasing strides in business, politics and the arts. Education a key driver
for change
 MARRIAGE
• Diverse - different between states and regions

• 85-90% are arranged marriages

• typically same caste / region / social status

• Marriage is considered between families

• Marriage in bride’s town, reception in groom’s

• Eldest sibling marries first. Girls before boys

• Community affair

• 70-100 people considered small gathering

• Colleagues at work are always invited.

don’t be surprised if your whole team goes for a reception or wedding

 HOLIDAYS &
FESTIVALS
Most Holidays have religious background
National Holidays
Id
• New Year’s Day - Jan 1 Sankranti Dushera
• Republic Day - Jan 26
• Labor Day - May 1
• Independence Day - Aug 15
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday - Oct 2
Hindu Holi
• Sankranti - around Jan 14 - South Diwali
Guru Nanak’s Birthday
• Holi - in March - North
• Ganesh Chaturthi in Sep - South & West
• Dushera - in Oct / Nov - preDushera in East
• Diwali - 20 days after Dushera

Muslim
• Idu’l Fitr - in Oct / Nov
Ganesh Chaturthi Onam
Sikh
• Guru Nanak’s Birthday - North Mahavir Jayanti
Christian
• Good Friday
• Christmas
Jain
• Mahavir Jayanti - West Individual significance varies by religion, region
 Cultural pointer to consider

• Be careful of your shoes

• Left (bad) hand right (good) hand
• Staring is okay…not common in the US
• Getting personal direct question such as age, salary, etc are common
• Generally, Indian women prefer not to shake hands wait for indication
• Giving seats / preference to ladies is courteous
• Gestures don't always translate…head nodding does not always mean “No”
• Respectful mistrust contrary to the US given that milkman will add water
• Can openly discuss politics keep religion out
• Many Hindus are vegetarian and many, especially women, do not drink alcohol or smoke
• Taxis do not expect to be tipped, however, hotel/airport porters and restaurant servers should be
tipped
 AMAZING INDIA!
Watch this emerging giant as we enter a new phase of the 21st
century!