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India and Unity in Diversity

Indian culture
The Indian culture has been shaped by the long history of India, its unique geography and absorption of customs, traditions and ideas of some

of its neighbors, as well as preserving its ancient heritage, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the

Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, the golden age, the gains Muslim and European colonization. India does not have a strong national uniform

culture. India's great diversity of cultural practices, languages, customs and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling in the last five

millennium. The various religions and traditions of India that were created by these mergers have influence other parts of the world as well. Most

Indian emphasize the country's cultural diversity, tolerance of difference, and responsiveness to foreign influences.

Religion:
India is the birthplace of Dharmic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Dharmic religions, also known as religions of India,

an important way of the world's religions with those of Abraham. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are religions of third and fourth largest in the world

respectively, with about 1.4 million followers completely.
India is one of the countries most religiously diverse in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion continues to play an

fundamental role definitive life of most people.
The religion of more than 80.4% of the population is Hindu. Islam is practiced around 13.4% of all Indians. Sikhism, Jainism, and particularly

Buddhism are influential not only in India but around the world. Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Baha'i Faith are also influential, but

the numbers are smaller. Despite the important role of religion in Indian life atheism and agnostics also have visible influence along with a self-ascribed

tolerance for other religions.

Company:
According to Eugene M. Makar, traditional culture India is defined by the relatively strict social hierarchy. He also mentioned that from an early age

Children are reminded of their roles and places in society. This is reinforced by the fact that many believe that gods and spirits have been an integral and functional

role in determining their life. Several differences such as culture, religion divide. However, much more powerful division is the traditional Hindu

bifurcation in non-polluting and polluting occupations. Strict social taboos have governed these groups for thousands of years.In recent years,

especially in cities, some of these lines erased and sometimes even disappeared. Nuclear family is becoming the center of Indian culture.

the important relationships of family extends far gotra as the mainly patrilineal lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu birth.In rural areas is common

three or four generations of family living under the same roof. Patriarch often solves the problems of the family.
Among developing countries, India has low levels of occupational and geographical mobility. People choose occupations with their parents and

rarely move geographically in society.

Family:
India has for centuries had a tradition effect of the extended family system. It is a system in which even extended family members such as parents,

children, spouses and their children children, etc live together. The old man, usually the male member is the head of the joint Indian family

system that makes all major decisions and rules, while family members meet with it.The average nuclear family is relatively small,

only one or two children. Children receive parental attention. Many children are cared for primarily by their parents in the parental home.
Arranged marriages have a tradition of Indian society during centuries. Even today, the overwhelming majority of Indians have their marriages planned by

parents and other respected members of the family, with the consent of the bride and groom.Arranged parties were made after taking into account

factors such as age, height, values and personal tastes of your family history (Wealth, social position) and the caste and astrological

compatibility of horoscopes of the couple. Monogamy is the only form of marriage is allowed.
In India, marriage is thought to lifeand the divorce rate is very low – 1.1% compared to around 50% in the United States. The

the Arranged marriages are generally much lower divorce rate. Divorce rates have increased considerably in recent years:
"The views are divided on what the phenomenon: the growing number traditionalists portend the breakdown of society, while for some

Modernist talk of a new, healthy and empowering women. "
Although child marriage was outlawed in 1860, is still practiced in some parts of rural India.According to "UNICEF's State of the

World's Children-2009 ", 47% of Indian women aged 20-24 were married before the legal age 18, with 56% in rural areas. The report also

showed that 40% of marriages of children of the world occur in India.
India names are based on a variety of systems and naming conventions, which vary from region to region. Names are also influenced by religion and

breed and can come from religion or epics. India's population speaks a variety of languages.
Although women and men are equal before the law and the trend towards gender equality has been a remarkable woman, and men still occupy different

functions in the role of s society.Woman Indian society is often to perform housework and community pro bono low rate work.This

participation is ideological and historical reasons. Women and women's issues appear only 14.7% of time on news programs. In most of India

families, women do not own any property in their names, and do not receive a part of the assets of the parents. Due to weak enforcement of laws protecting

them, women still have little access to land and property. In many families, especially rural girls and women face nutritional

discrimination in the family and are still anemic malnourished.They lag behind men in terms of income and job status.

Customs:
Namaste, Namaskar or Namaskaram greeting is common to speak or greeting in the Indian subcontinent. Namaskar is considered a little

namaste official version but both express deep respect. It is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, and continue many

use this outside the Indian subcontinent. In India and Nepali culture, the word speaks at the beginning of written or oral communication.

gesture, however, the same hands folded is no words to the output. In yoga, namaste is said to mean "Light me honors the light in you"

as spoken by both the yoga instructor and yoga students.
Taken literally, it means "I bow before you ". The word is derived from Sanskrit (NAMA): to bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, and respectand (te):" to

you. "
When spoken to another person, usually accompanied by a slight bow made with hands together, palms touching, fingers pointing

up in front of the chest. The gesture can also be done without a word and have the same meaning.

Festivals:
India, being a multicultural society and multi religious festivals and holidays celebrated by different religions. The three-day national holiday in India,

Day of Independence Day Republic and the Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated with fervor and enthusiasm throughout India. In addition, many states and regions

have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Religious festivals are popular Hindu festivals of Diwali,

Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dussehra. Harvest festivals such as Sankranthi, Pongal and Onam, are also quite

popular. Some festivals are celebrated in India for many religions. Notable examples include the Independence Day celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains

Buddha Purnima and is celebrated by Buddhists and Hindus. Islamic festivals, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan are celebrated by

Muslims in India. Add color to the culture of India, is one Dree Festival tribal festivals of India celebrated the Apatanis

Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost of the country.

Cuisine:
Multiple families of Indian cuisine is characterized by sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Each family of this cuisine is

characterized by a variety dishes and cooking techniques. Although a significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian, many traditional Indian

dishes also include chicken, goat, lamb, fish and other meats.
Food is an important part of Indian culture, playing a role in everyday life and festivals. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting

diverse demographics of the ethnically diverse subcontinent. Generally, Indian cuisine can be divided into five categories: North, South, East, West

India and north-eastern India. Despite this diversity, unifying themes emerge. Various uses of spices are an integral part of the preparation food

and are used to enhance the taste of a dish and create unique flavors and aromas. Indian cuisine has also been influenced by various cultural activities

groups that entered India throughout history such as Persians, Mongols, and European settlers. Although the tandoor originated in Central Asia,

Indian tandoori dishes like chicken tikka prepared with indigenous ingredients, enjoy a wide popularity.
Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines throughout the world. Historically, Indian spices and herbs were one of the most sought after trade

commodities. The spice trade between India and Europe led to the rise and domination of the Arab traders to the extent that European explorers,

Basque da Gama and Christopher Columbus as, began to seek new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery. The popularity of curry

which originated in India, through Asia has often led to the antenna being labeled as the "pan-Asian" dish.

Clothing:
traditional Indian clothes for women are the saris and Ghaghra cholis (lehengas). For men, traditional costumes are the Dhoti, pancha / or veshti

Kurta. Bombay, also known as Mumbai, is one of the capitals Fashion India. In some parts of town in India, the traditional dress of the majority will be spent.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune are all places for people who like to shop. In southern India, men wear long white sheets of cloth

dhoti called in English and Tamil. During the dhoti, men wear shirts, jerseys, or anything else. The women wear a sari, a long sheet of fabric colors

with employers. This is covered on a simple blouse or complicated. This is used by girls and women. The girls wear a silly. A silly thing is a long

skirt worn under a blouse. Both are often cheerful prints. Bindi is part of women's makeup. Traditionally, the red bindi (or Sindhura) was used

marriage only Hindu women, but has now become a part of women's fashion. Indo-Western clothing is the fusion of Western and

Continental fashion. Churidar, Dupatta, Gamchha, Kurta, mundum Neriyathum, sherwani, uttariya are among other items.

Literature:
The earliest works of Indian literature were transmitted orally. Sanskrit literature begins with the Rig Veda, a collection of sacred hymns dating from the

period 1500-1200 BC. The Sanskrit epic Ramayana and the Mahabharata came to the end of the first millennium BC. Classical Sanskrit

literature flourished in the early centuries of the first millennium like the Tamil Sangam literature.
In medieval times, literature in Kannada and Telugu appears in the ages 9 and 11 respectively, followed by the early work in Malayalam

Century 12. During this time, literature in Bengali, Marathi, and several dialects of Hindi, Persian and Urdu began to appear as well.
Some of the most important artists of India are Rabindranath Tagore, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Subramania Barathi, Kuvempu, Bankim Chandra

Chattopadhyay, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Munshi Premchand, Muhammad Iqbal, Devaki Nandan Khatri became well known. In contemporary India,

among the writers who have received acclaim Girish Karnad critical, Agyeya, Nirmal Verma, Kamleshwar, Vaikom Muhammad Bashir, Indira: the

Goswami, Mahasweta Devi, Amrita Pritam, Ayengar Maasti Venkatesh, Qurratulain Hyder and Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and others have received

critical acclaim.
In contemporary Indian literature, there are two literary awards important, which are the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship and Jnanpith Award. Seven

Jnanpith awards each have been awarded in Kannada, six in Hindi, Bengali five four in Malayalam, and three each in Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu and

Oriya.

Poetry:
India has a strong tradition of poetry from the Rigveda, as well as compositions in prose. Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions, and

Much of the poetry can be attributed to religious movements. Writers and philosophers were often also skilled poets. In modern times, poetry has served as

as an important non-violent tool of nationalism during the freedom movement of India. A famous modern example of this tradition can be found at

figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and SK Narasimhaswamy in modern times and poets such as Basava (Vachanas), Kabir and Purandaradasa

(Padas and devaranamas) in medieval times and as the epics of antiquity. Two examples of the poetry of Tagore, Gitanjali serve as national

anthems of India and Bangladesh.

Epics:
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the oldest surviving epic poems and yet well known in India, some versions have been adopted as the epics of

Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, there are five epics in the classical Tamil language, which is

Silappadhikaram, Manimegalai, Seevaga-chintamani, Valayaapathi, Kundalakesi. Other regional variations of them, and unrelated epics include

the Kamba Ramayanam Tamil, in Kannada, Adikavi the Pampa Pampa Bharata, Torave Kumara Valmiki Ramayana and Bharata Karnataka

KathaManjari by Kumaravyasa, Ramacharitamanasa Hindi, Malayalam Adhyathmaramayanam.

Music and Dance:
The music of India includes multiple varieties of religious, folk, pop, folk, and classical music. The earliest examples Indian music preserved are

Samaveda the melodies of which are still sung in certain Vedic sacrifices rauta?. classical music tradition India is strongly influenced by Hindu texts.

Includes two different styles: Carnatic and Hindustani music. It is characterized by the use of various Raga, melodic modes. has a history spanning

thousands of years and was developed over several eras. Which remains essential for inspiration religious, cultural expression and pure entertainment.
Purandaradasa is considered the "father of carnatic music" (Karnataka sangeeta Pitamaha). He concluded his songs with a salute to Lord Purandara

Vittala and is believed to have composed 475,000 songs in Kannada language. However, only about of 1000 is known today.
India also has several folk dance and classical forms. Among the popular dances are the bhangra of the Punjab, Bihu of Assam, the chhau

of Jharkhand and Orissa, Rajasthan ghoomar the Dandiya and Garba of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka Yakshagana and Lavani

Dekhnni of Goa. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been granted the status of Indian classical dance

National Academy Music, Dance and Theatre. These are Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kathak of Uttar Pradesh, Kathakali and

Mohiniyattam of Kerala, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Manipur Manipuri, Odissi of Orissa and Assam sattriya.
Kalari Kalarippayattu or for short is considered one of the oldest martial art in the world. It is preserved in texts such as the Mallapurana. Kalari and other

later formed the martial arts have been taken by some to have traveled to China, and Buddhism, and finally developing Kung-fu. Others

Gatka martial arts are, and yuddha Pehlwani Malla. There have been many Indian professionals including Martial Arts Bodhidharma

Indian supposedly brought Chinese martial arts.

Paintings:
The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of prehistoric petroglyphs found in places like Bhimbetka, some of which date back

to the Stone Age. Ancient texts outline theories of darragh and stories anecdotal reports suggest it was common for households to paint their

doors or indoors where guests resided.
Ajanta cave paintings, Bagh, Ellora and Sittanavasal and temple paintings testify to a love of naturalism. early and medieval art in India

Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. A newly color made of flour design (Rangoli) is still a common sight outside the gates of many (mostly South Indian)

Indian households.
Madhubani painting, Mysore painting, Rajput painting, Tanjore painting, Mughal painting are some notable genres of Indian art, while Raja Ravi

Varma, Nandalal Bose, Geeta Vadhera, Jamini Roy and B. Venkatappa are some modern painters. Among contemporary artists, Atul Dodiya, Bose

Krishnamacnahri, Ray Devajyoti and Shibu Natesan represent a new era of Indian art in world art direct sample fusion with Indian classical

styles. These recent artists have gained recognition international. Ray Devajyoti paintings have been acquired by the National Fine Arts Museum

Cuba and so were the works of some of the artists of new generation.
Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Mysore Palace has made several good Indian paintings.

Sculptures:
The sculptures of India for the first time on the date of back to the Indus Valley civilization, where stone and bronze figures have been discovered. Later, as Hinduism,

Buddhism and Jainism developed Moreover, India has produced some very complex bronzes and temple carvings. Some large sanctuaries, such as

one at Ellora were not built by using blocks but dug into solid rock.
Sculptures produced in the northwest, in stucco, schist or clay, display a very strong blend of Indian classical and Hellenistic or

Greco-Roman influence. The pink sandstone sculptures of Mathura evolved almost simultaneously. During the Gupta period (fourth to sixth century)

sculpture reached a very high level in the implementation and refinement in the modeling. These styles and others in other parts of India evolved the classical principal

Indian art contributing to Buddhist and Hindu sculpture throughout Southeast Asia and East Central.

Architecture:
Indian architecture encompasses a multitude of expressions in space and time, constantly absorbing new ideas. The result is a range of developments

architectural production that nevertheless retains some degree of continuity across history. Some of his first production was found in the Indo

Valley civilization (2600-1900 BC), characterized by well planned cities and houses. Religion and royalty do not seem to have played a

important role in the planning and design of these peoples.
During the Maurya and Gupta empires and their successors, several Buddhist architectural complexes, like the caves of Ajanta and

Ellora and Stupa Sanchi monuments were built. Later, South India produced several Hindu temples and temple of Belur Chennakesava the

Hoysaleswara Halebidu Temple, and the Kesava Temple Somanathapura, Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur, the Sun Temple, Konark, Sri

Ranganathaswamy Srirangam temple and the Buddha stupa (Chinna Lanjaron Dibba Dibba and Vikramarka kota) in Bhattiprolu. Angkor Wat

temples of Borobudur and other Buddhist and Hindu indicate a strong Indian influence in South East Asia architecture because they are built in styles almost

identical to traditional Indian religious buildings.
The traditional system of Vaastu Shastra serves as India's version Feng Shui, influencing the planning, architecture and ergonomics. It is unclear

which system is older, but have certain similarities. Feng Shui is more commonly used worldwide. Though Vastu is conceptually

Similar to Feng Shui which also seeks to harmonize the energy flow (also called the life force or Prana in Sanskrit and Japanese / Chi / Ki in Chinese)

through the house, it differs in details such as exact addresses in which various objects, rooms, materials, etc. are to be placed.
With the advent of Islamic influence from the West Indian architecture adapted to allow that the traditions of the new religion. Fatehpur Sikri, Taj

Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Qutub Minar, Red Fort of Delhi are the creations of this era, often used as the stereotypical symbols of India. The colonial

domain of the British Empire saw the development of Indo-Saracenic style, and the mixture of several other styles, such as European gothic. The Victoria

Memorial or the Victoria Terminus are notable examples.
India has influenced the architecture of East and Southeast Asia because the spread of Buddhism. A number of Indian architectural features such as

temple mound or stupa, the needle or Sikh temple, tower the temple or pagoda and temple gate or Torana, have become famous symbols of Asian culture,

widely used in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The central tower is also sometimes called a Vimanam. The southern temple gate, or is gopuram

notable for its complexity and majesty.
Contemporary Indian architecture is more cosmopolitan. Cities are extremely compact and densely populated. Mumbai Nariman Point is famous for

its Art Deco buildings. creations recent developments such as the Lotus Temple, and various modern India's urban development, such as Chandigarh, are remarkable.

Recreation and Sports
In the area recreation and sports India has developed a series of games. The modern eastern martial arts originated as ancient games and martial arts

in India and is believed by some that these games were transmitted to foreign countries where they were more adapted and modernized.

Traditional sports include kabaddi indigenous and Gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country.
Some games introduced during the British Raj have grown quite popular in India, field hockey, cricket football (soccer) and, above all. Although field

hockey is the official national sport of India, cricket is by far the most popular sport not only in India but the entire subcontinent, thriving recreationally

and professionally. Cricket has even been used recently as a forum for diplomats relations between India and Pakistan. The two nations' cricket teams

face each year and these competitions are very passionate on both sides. Polo is popular.
Indoor and outdoor games like chess, snakes and ladders, cards, Carrom, Badminton are popular. Chess was invented in India.
Games of strength and speed flourished in India. In ancient India stones were used for weights, marbles, and dice. Ancient Indian competed in the car

racing, archery, horsemanship, military tactics, wrestling, weightlifting, hunting, swimming and running races.

About the Author

The Author of this India – Unity in Diversity article is Suresh. He is a student but intrested in writing articles for users/readers and he is also

intrested in knowing about diffrent cultures of the world.

WTAF 2009 Traditional Archery – Japanese Archery Kyudo