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The culture of India is the heritage of belief systems, social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, political systems, artefacts and technologies. Indian culture is considered one of the oldest civilisations, which began 4500 years ago. The distinct and diverse culture of India varies from region to region.

Our Indian culture and tradition are getting acknowledged and renowned all across the globe. The customs and traditions of India are known for their diversity and uniqueness. These customs and traditions originate from the ancient Indian scriptures and texts, thousands of years old.

Today, India is home to many invasions, and it is considered a powerful and multicultural society. Indian people follow various traditions, cultures and customs. They celebrate every festival according to customs. We still follow the epic lessons from Mahabharata and Ramayana and still visit Gurdwaras, temples, churches, and mosques. Along with time, Indian people turn modern by holding onto their moral values and practices.

Indian culture is all about living, values, religion, customs, knowledge, tradition, etc. Our Indian culture is the oldest civilisation where we still hold on to our ancient practices, respect and humanity. We can also describe culture as how we behave with people and understand ethics, beliefs and values.

New generation people get these values from the older generation, and it is continuing accordingly. So, from a child’s behaviour, we can understand that they learned about our culture from parents or grandparents.

Also, here we can see culture in everything like fashion, music, dance, social norms, foods, etc. Thus, India is one big melting pot for behaviours and beliefs birthed in different cultures.

Traditions and Customs of India

1. Language

We all know that our country is divided into 29 states and seven union territories. India doesn’t follow any official language, but the Indian government follows Hindi as their official language. According to our Constitution, India has 23 official languages. In India, the majority of the people speak the Hindi language, but 59% of Indian residents speak other languages than Hindi.

2. Religion

India is the native of the third and fourth-largest religions, Buddhism and Hinduism. In India, 84% of the population is Hindu, with many variations and four predominant sects — Vaishnava, Shaiva, Smarta, and Shakteya.

Approximately 13% of the Indian population are Muslim, one of the largest Muslim populated nations across the world. As per the research, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians make up a small population.

3. Food

Our Indian cuisine is known for its taste, and spices and herbs. The cooking style of various cuisines varies from region to region. Tourists who visit our country from multiple countries praise our cuisine because of its variations. Every region has its own staple cuisine.

4. Art and Architecture

A great example of Indian Architecture is the famous Taj Mahal, built combining Persian, Islamic, Indian architectural styles and Turkish Ottoman elements. We also have temples from ancient times known for their architecture.

Our film industry, popularly known as Bollywood, is a well-known industry. In 1896, the country’s film history began in Mumbai after the Lumière brothers demonstrated the art of cinema. Today, Bollywood is known for its melodic singing and dancing.

5. Clothing

In India, women wear traditional colourful saree, and men wear traditional dhoti. As ethnic wear, men also wear kurta, and for special occasions like marriage, they wear sherwani or achkan. The Nehru jacket is the shorter version of a sherwani, named after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

6. Celebrations and Customs

In India, Diwali is the most significant holiday. It is a festival of lights that continues for five days because it is believed that these lights will protect them from spiritual darkness. Other festivals such as Holi, known as the festival of colours, are celebrated during spring. Every region has their cultural festival which they celebrate in their own way. During these festivals, authentic foods are prepared, and relatives and neighbours are invited to the homes. We as a country celebrate all kinds of festivals with love and peace. We also celebrate our Independence Day (Aug. 15), Republic Day (Jan. 26), and the Father of the Nation’s birthday (Oct. 2).

Conclusion

Our country, India, is rich in cultural diversity and known for its rich heritage and unity in diversity.

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Proud to be an Indian

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Indian dishes & Tourism