Culture is a society that shares similar beliefs, traditions, religions, food, art, language and even human thought. Each country has a culture that is different from one another, whether it’s big or small. It makes the global outlook a diverse place with many different areas to discover and learn. Known to be one of the most defined countries, as well as being one of the oldest cultural country in the world, is India. With 1,220,800,359 people that reside in its country, India offers many areas of its culture to explore. From music to the way they dress, Indians brings many insight and ways of life that make our world unique.
India is portrayed as a spiritual country, blooming with various religions. 80% of its religion is made up of Hinduism. It is one of the most ancient religions in the world, being formed back around 5,000 years ago. It emphasizes meditation and has many Gods and Goddesses formed into its religion. In 500 BC, two more religions were developed; Buddhism and Jainism. Today India only has 0.5% Jains and 0.7% people being Buddhist. In the ancient time of India, both religions were extremely popular. The people in India who had followed Buddhist philosophy spread it in its sub-continent, as well as to areas east and south of India. It shows the influence India had on regions surrounding it. In the present time the top four religions in the country are Hinduism, Islam with 13%, Christianity mainly in the Northeast with 2.3% and Sikhs at 1.9% (Population by Religion in India). Sikhs is more of a modern religion compared to the three ancient ones. Founded by Guru Nanak about 500 years ago, it has some similar views to both Hinduism and Islam, but also very different views. It believes that everyone should be seen as ...
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There are many religions that are practiced around the world, especially in Asia where there are eight different religions being practiced. In the country of India, Buddhism and Hinduism are the main religions that are practiced today. Buddhism and Hinduism were both founded in Asia, but they were founded by two different people and practiced in two different ways and languages. Buddhism is a living tradition that is passed down from teacher to student as a set of instruction and techniques for sanity and brilliance in the inner self and the world. Hinduism is more based on the thoughts and attitude about one’s everyday life, and reflects in his actions.
...al religious and cultural beliefs. Yet, the carefree placement of the packaged foods woven throughout the traditional Indian dishes exemplifies the casual influences of the Western diet on the strong cultural history of India. There are many individual parts that comprise this photograph, but this entire photograph is a snapshot of India as a whole. The most important aspect is that this food not only brings the Patkar family together to enjoy their meals and connect to one another, but it is a giant system connecting the community to their meal. By appreciating the bounty of food provided by the local market the Patkar family is one part of a larger whole. Hinduism teaches that all things are sacred and that all things are interconnected. The Patkar family of India is a beautiful example of how even old traditions hold out against the ever-changing Western world.
In Jhumpa Lahiri’s, The Namesake, the consumption of traditional, ethnic foods prepared by the woman of the house, Ashima, is a way in which the Ganguli family was able to adhere to their ethnic Hindu heritage. Besides cooking for daily consumption and consumption during traditional holidays, Ashima also cooks in an effort to connect with a country that she had left behind when she married Ashoke and moved to the United States to start a family. Even though she no longer resides in India, she uses food to identify herself and her family as practicing Hindus who were devoted to their beliefs just as she and Ashoke were when they were living at home in Calcutta, India with their respective parents.
...ge parts of India, becoming the predominant faith for much of the population. (Allen 399)
Did you know that, as of today, 80.5% of the population of India practice Hinduism? That’s quite a lot considering how diverse the country of India is. But this leads to the questions as to how did Hinduism become so widespread and what other religions make up the other 19.5%? Well did you know that in all actuality India didn’t first start out with just one main religion? In fact, in the times of Ancient India, three major religions (Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism) influenced the country and its people. But why where there three major religions instead of one, and how did they all play a part in the religious culture of India? Well these three religions are just as similar to each other as they are different.
It is not surprising that thinkers as diverse as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Mahatma Gandhi have found inspiration in The Bhagavad Gita, the great HINDU religious poem. At first glance, this statement must seem odd to you: after all, The Bhagavad Gita describes a momentary surcease in a vast battle in which brothers fight brothers in bloody, historical technicolor. The principal character, Arjuna, sits in a chariot in the midst of the mass of soldiers who wait -- surprisingly patiently -- as Arjuna looks into his conscience and questions his divine charioteer, Krishna. Krishna's temporary job as charioteer is by no means accidental: this moment before the heat and horror of battle was chosen as precisely the right time to reflect on the nature of duty and devotion. The Bhagavad Gita, then, becomes a record of Arjuna's questions and Krishna's provocative responses.
Mr. and Mrs. Das enjoy all things Indian. The couple is as if drinking its fill of Indian experience. Just as the Suntemple at Konarak becomes a must see, they also enjoy jhalmuri that is typical of Bengal and its adjacent states. Mrs. Das is quite a foreigner in her dress and taste, the lady does not forget to carry her water bottle lest she catches infection due to consumption of contaminated water. But she cannot resist enjoying the jhalmuri: 'She walked slowly, carrying some puffed rice tossed with peanuts and chilli peppers in a large packet made from newspapers.' (Lahiri 46) The family also enjoys a hearty breakfast at a road side restaurant (Dhaba). If on one hand they sip bottled mango juice with sandwiches they also enjoy the typical Indian pakora throwing all apprehensions of infection to the wind. However, the author once again does not use the Indian word for the same, instead she prefers to define it as 'onions and potatoes deep fried in graham-flour batter.' (Lahiri
We wear traditional Indian clothes, cook Indian food and sweets, worship the God with hymns and prayers, and recite stories to children explaining about the ancient period in India and how the culture, beliefs and values are passed from generation to generation. Festivals unite us together and brings out an immense joy and happiness. During such festivals, cooking plays a vital role for women as making scrumptious sweets enlightens the whole day. Before eating those appetizing sweets, an important ritual precedes as those sweets are kept before the God and prayer occurs. Festivals are always filled with embellishing colors and joy that spreads across from children to elderly people. Another most important cultural tradition that Indians follow is respecting the elder people, usually youngsters touch elderly people’s feet to gain their blessings on important occasions and festivals. This tradition is followed wildly across India because in our tradition old people’s words and blessings are very powerful and respecting them is
Huge population, pollution, peace, snakes, saris, dance, curry, and religion are probably the most popular words that come up when we think about India. India is a well-known country. Although it is a relatively poor country, it has a rich and diverse culture. India is populated by approximately 953 million people. It has been a home for many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity. The first four mentioned above originated in India (Finegan 151). Seventy percent of the populations are Hindus. In fact, Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion in the world. Hinduism has deeply influenced Indian society, for several reasons: it has a long history in this place, it is related to the social status of Indians, and it is integrated with the cultural aspects in India.
What is culture? Culture is identity; it’s the indigenous or non-indigenous ideology, habits, customs, appearances and beliefs that people are either raised by or adapt to from different nations surrounding. It is a network of knowledge shared by a group of people. Culture consists of configurations, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior obtained and spread by symbols establishing the distinctive achievement of human groups including their embodiments in artifacts; the vital core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values. Culture systems may, on one hand, be considered as products of action, and on the other, as conditioning influences upon further action.
"Hinduism Facts | Facts about Hindu Religion." Hinduism Facts Facts about Hindu Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Starting at the core of India, its heart can be correlated with Hinduism. Hinduism started in Indian approximately the third millennium BC and is still practiced in the present day. Also, as it is of Indian origin, its rightful place can be considered the heart of India. It can be said that Hinduism is substantially “outdated” by today’s standards as formidable religion of Indian majority. During the period of the caste social structure within India it was en excellent fit. But this ensures its position of the heart of India by being fundamental to the development of ancient India and forming modern India.
Rajhans, Gyan. "Ideas of Hindu Marriage: Why the Hindu Marriage is Sacrosanct." About.com Hinduismn.pag. About.com. Web. 20 Mar 2014. .
Today, India is the second most populous country in the world. The culture of India is also among the oldest to survive, reaching back to nearly 5,000 years. India received their inde-pendence from Britain on August 15th, 1947, thus allowing them to become the most populous democracy in the world. There are many aspects as to what makes India unique, one principle in particular is their food. Indian cooking is vivid, exquisite, and simply delicious. It depends on a wide variety of spices, herbs, and grains for its specific taste. The different types of food which India carry include basic spices, traditional foods, and tasty snacks. It is notable that India has been one of the world’s main dealer of spices for at least 3,600 years.