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Culture of India |
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The diverse culture of India is the secret of the beauty of this ancient land. India. The Indian civilization dates back to at least 2500 B.C. Roughly, the time of the advent of the Indus Valley Civilization. This was followed by the Aryan invasion. The Dravidian civilization in the south, and the Aryan civilization in the north prospered. The Ganges Valley gave rise to the Gangetic civilization.The two halves of India were not mutually exclusive, there was a lot of cultural exchange yet each retained a distinct identity of its own. The conquest by the tribes from the regions of Afghanistan, and from the middle east, added to the cultural expansion of the sub continent.
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They brought in Islam, and their cultural traditions. They got married to locals, and settled in the country, adding to its rich cultural heritage. In fact, the way art and literature flourished was one of the numerous benefits of these invasions. These invasions made the land their home.
Buddhism had already made its presence felt in the country, the mighty Maurya emperor, Ashoka, converted from Hinduism, to Buddhism. He became a major proponent of Buddhism. The Eastern and the North Eastern sections of the country still have a strong Buddhist influence. Every religion gives rise to its unique tradition of art and literature. The same happened in India.
Meanwhile, in the South, there was a cultural renaissance. Numerous poets, and playwrights flourished under the patronage of the local rulers, and the kings. The Sangam literature of South India, is one of the richest treasure troves of ancient literature. Christianity had already made itself felt, one of the twelve original disciples of Christ, Saint Thomas had landed in the south, and the preaching of Christianity had already started in the country.
There were numerous other invasions that lead to the enrichment, and diversity of Indian culture. The French, the Portuguese, and the Mongols, were also among the list of invaders who wanted a share of the country's wealth. The British turned out to be the most resourceful. They came to the country as traders, and emerged as rulers.
However, credit card must be given to the British for giving the country an organized structure, establishing an educational system, helping reformist Indians to put an end to practices like 'sati.' (Under the 'sati' system widows were burnt alive at their husband's funeral pyre.) The British left a strong influence on Indians, but still culture in India, has retained a unique identity of its own.
Today people of all religions like Sikhs,Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus live side by side.
Each region has its unique song and dance forms, for example the Hindustani classical vocals of the North, and the Carnatic music of the South. If Kathak is a dance form that belongs to North India, dance forms like Bharat Natyam and Kuchipudi are contributions of south India, while Odissi and Manipuri dance forms belong to the East.
If you have Chettinad cuisine from the South, you have Shahi cuisine form the North, yet idlis, dosas, and puris are favorites all over India. Rasgullas are Bengali sweets, they are popular all over India.
Each region has its unique set of languages. There are more than four hundred languages, including local dialects, that are spoken in the country. The two official languages are Hindi and English. Yet Hindi films are popular all over the country. South Indian films are viewed in the people hailing from the North! This is the magic of the culture of India. No wonder India is labelled as 'incredible India!'
Click on the links of the site comehometoindia.com to know more about the Culture of India . The site offers comprehensive information on India. So browse the links of the site, and know more about travel to India.
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