Indian Culture

A concoction of vivid cultures impacting the people, their mien, vantage, credence, and lifestyle – that is what Indian culture is about. Indian culture has traveled through several eras and has adopted a lot from them. 

It is not just about following some traditions, it is about the sense of belonging and homage to the civilization which was once represented by our ancestors. 

A Muhurat or auspicious time is determined so that it prospers; Dahi-Peda is taken on the very first day of the new job or examination to ensure all goes fine. 

Touching feet of elderly to seek their Aashirwaad or blessings; all this constitutes the Indian culture. Some people stay true blue about it while some find it imposed.

The diversity of India is presented also by an ambit of festivals that are celebrated here. Festivals play an intrinsic role in attributing the Indian culture by means of their colorfulness and vibrancy. 

They paint the minds and souls in the spirit of oneness and are marked by celebrations in various ways; be it Diwali - the ‘Festival of Lights’, or Holi – the ‘Festival of Colors’, Id – the ‘Feast of Sacrifice’, Guruparb – ‘Prakash Utsav’ or Christmas – the ‘Birth of Jesus’. 

The essence of India’s cultural heritage is fragmentary without the allusion of music and dance. There are several ancient forms of Indian classical dance like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kathakali and Kuchipudi which form an inherent part of performing arts. 

While going through the significant pages of Indian history, one can imagine the mesmerism created by the magical sounds of Ghunghroos that must have echoed on the walls of ancient courtyards and palaces.

Owing to the variety of Indian musical instruments like Sitar, Sarod, Veena, Tabla, Sarangi, Dhol, Pakhawaj and Mridangam, the Indian classical and folk music has been the most sought after form of music all over the world.
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Drama in India has been holding tremendous significance since ancient times. The concept of street plays, open ground plays, and Nautankis has been practiced for ages. The Gujrati, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati theaters have been flourishing and today hold a special place in Indian culture.

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Astrology or Jyotish has been one of the most important subjects of study and belief in India. There are many aspects on which this traditional science is based upon, one of them is the position of stars and the moon, which are known to judge the fate of a being. 

The believers follow Jyotish during various milestones of life; like determining the date of any wedding, birth of a child or setting up a new business. The most revered of Indian astrology is Nadi Jyotishyam based on the belief that life story of all the human beings is already written by ancient Hindu sages on palm leaves. Read More

Indian costumes have been fancied by the entire world. A woman draped in a traditional Saree wearing nice Indian jewellery and a Bindi on her forehead is idolized as a typical Indian woman. The traditional daily wear for men is Dhoti-Kurta and Kurta-Pyjama. Today, the modern day common wear is inspired by western culture.

Indian cuisines are relished all over the world. The tangy flavors emerging from a variety of hot Indian gravies make Indian cuisines popular everywhere. Owing to the practicing of concept of Tadka with Hing or Asafoetida, every Indian kitchen stays aromatic all the time. 

The curries are made by roasting the fusion of all Masale or Indian spices like Lal Mirch or red pepper, Dhaniya powder, Haldi or Turmeric, Amchur, Garam Masala and lot many. 

Indians are known to have an essential sweet tooth, as an Indian meal is incomplete without any sweet that is usually Gulab Jamuns, Halwas, Laddoos, Barfis, Rasmalais, Rasgullas, Jalebis, Rabris or Mal Puas.

With official languages been Hindi in Devnagri script and English, India speaks 22 officially recognized languages. Hindi birthed from Sanskrit is known as the principal sacred language of ancient India. The entire group of Indian languages is divided into many further groups including:

Indo-Aryan languages – Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Urdu
Tibeto-Burman languages – Manipuri, Bodo
Dravidian languages – Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil Telugu,
Ongan languages – Nicobari, Andamani

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Indian literature is rich in terms of the content and its expression. The ancient most literature like Sanskrit literature used to be expressed orally in the form of consecrated hymns. 

The first Sanskrit literature comprises of epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Indian Literature is also studied in foreign languages in the form of Indian Persian Literature and Literature from North-East India.

The Indian Itihaas or history has been narrating inspiring tales of sacrifice, valor, Karma and Dharma by means of epics composed in poetry form in ancient times. The Geeta, Ramayana and Mahabharata are the oldest epics first written in Sanskrit in Chaupais. 

The first Hindi epic was Ram Charit Manas by Saint Tulsidas, which is inspired by Ramayana, being based upon the life of Lord Rama. The modern Hindi epic is Kamayani written by Jaishankar Prasad.

Learn more on Indian Epics

Indian Cinema is not just about Bollywood or Hindi Cinema. It rather represents the Cinema of all the regions of India as a whole. 

The technological, talent, and budgetary advancements in Indian cinema can be measured through a long journey. This burgeoning industry has produced the films that are remembered along with a huge fan-following.

The term ‘Indian Art’ serves as a synonym for Indian culture. It is classified into Sculpting, Wall Painting, Miniature Painting, and Jewellery Designing. It represents various bygone eras like the Indus Valley Civilization, Greco-Buddhism era, and Mughal era in various ways. 

The folk and tribal art have presented some very amazing art work through pottery-making, metal-work, weaving, paper-art and jewelry making. 

Jewellery in India is considered an important medium for enhancing beauty. The traditional ones hold religious significance. 

Ranging from essential Mangal Sutra, Bichhiye, Mang Teeka, Kada or bangles, Payal or anklets, and Chudi to the trend-setter items like necklaces, and danglers and bracelets, people have been wearing and flaunting.

Despite the trend of imitation jewelry and antiques, traditional Indian designs always stay in huge demand. Apart from exclusive gold and silver jewelry, there are Kundan, Lac, and Polki jewellery that set the trend.