Pooja Agnihotri Ma-Apr (4 Semester) : Submitted To:-Dr. Babita Maam

Pooja agnihotri
Ma-apr (4 th
semester)
Submitted to:- dr.

babita maam
Indian culture
• The culture of India refers to the way of life of the people of India. India’s
languages, dances, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place
within the country. India's culture is among the world's oldest; civilization in India
began about 4,500 years ago.
• Many elements of India’s diverse cultures such as Indian religion, yoga, Indian
cuisine had a profound impact across the world. India has 29 states with different
culture and civilizations and one of the most populated countries in the world
• The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several various cultures, spans
across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is
several thousand years old. Throughout the history of India, Over the centuries, there
has been significant fusion of cultures between Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jains,
Sikhs and various tribal populations in India
Characteristics of culture
Traditional Indian culture, in its overall thrust towards

the spiritual, promotes moral values and the attitudes
of generosity, simplicity and frugality. Some of the
striking features of Indian culture that pervade its
numerous castes, tribes, ethnic groups and religious
groups and sects are as follows
Humor
Indian philosophy and culture tries to achieve an
innate harmony and order and this is extended to the
entire cosmos.
 Indian culture assumes that natural cosmic order

inherent in nature is the foundation of moral and social
order. Inner harmony is supposed to be the foundation
of outer harmony.
External order and beauty will naturally follow from

inner harmony. Indian culture balances and seeks to
synthesize the material and the spiritual, as aptly
illustrated by the concept of purushartha.
Unity in diversity
An important characteristic of Indian culture is Unity in Diversity. There is
much diversity in Indian culture like in geography, in caste, in creed, in
language, in religion, in politics, etc. Dr. R.K.Mukerjee writes, ―India is a
museum of different types, communities, customs, traditions, religions,
cultures, beliefs, languages, castes and social system.‖ But even after having
so much of external diversity, none can deny the internal unity of Indian
culture. Thus, in Indian culture there is Unity in Diversity. According to
Pandit Nehru, ―Those who see India, are deeply moved by its Unity in
Diversity. No one can break this unity. This fundamental unity of India is its
great fundament element.‖ According to Sir Herbert Rizle, ―Even after the
linguistic, social and geographical diversity, a special uniformity is seen from
Kanyakumari to the Himalayas.‖ Indian culture is a huge tree, the roots of
which have Aryan culture. Like a new layer is formed all around the tree
every year, similarly layers of many historical eras surround the tree of
Indian culture, protecting it and getting life sap from it. We all live in the
cooling shade of that tree. The concept of Unity and diversity will be dealt
in details in separate paragraphs.
Language
According to Ethnologue, India is considered to be the home to 398 languages out of
which 11 have been reported extinct. In India, some 1652 dialects were recorded in a
census made in 1961, Another census was initiated way back 2001 and it showed that
for more than half a million inhabitants, there are 29 languages being spoken. This is
why Indian language translation is a tough one.
The Constitution of India officially recognizes 23 official languages. Many people

living in India write in Devanagari script. In fact, it is a misconception that the majority
of people in India speak Hindi. Though many people speak Hindi in India, 59 percent
of India residents speak something other than Hindi, according to The Times of India.
Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu are some other languages spoken in the
country.
Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language usually referred to in action movies,
came from Northern India.
Religion
India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and
fourth largest religions.
About 84 percent of the population identifies as Hindu, according to the

"Handbook of Research on Development and Religion," edited by Matthew Clarke
(Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013). There are many variations of Hinduism, and four
predominant sects — Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakteya and Smarta.
About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, making it one of the largest Islamic
nations in the world. Christians and Sikhs make up a small percentage of the
population, and there are even fewer Buddhists and Jains, according to the
"Handbook.“
The CIA cited similar figures. According to its World Factbook, around 80 percent
of the population is Hindu, 14.2 percent is Muslim, 2.3 percent is Christian, 1.7
percent is Sikh and 2 percent is unspecified.
Theatre
 While classical dance in India is linked to its divine origins‘, the origin of
Indian theatre lies with the people. Bharat‘s Natyashastra is still the most
complete guide to traditional Indian theatre.
 Modern Indian theatre‘ of recent times originated in three colonial

cities— Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. It is strongly influenced by
conventions and trends of European theatre.
 Traditional Indian theatre‘ includes distinct streams. This theatre

remained confined to courts and temples and displayed a refined,
carefully trained sensibility. In the second popular stream the spoken
languages and dialects of different localities and regions were used.
 Theatre in India is usually staged in the post-harvest season when

actors as well as spectators have free time. It is staged in open-air
theatres. The narrative, often a myth already known to the audience, is
enacted through dance, music, mimetic gesture and stylized
choreography.
CLOTHING
• Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts of
the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate
and rural/urban settings.
• Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for
women and dhoti or lungi or panche for men.
• Stitched clothes are also popular such as churidar or salwar-
kameez for women, with dupatta thrown over shoulder
completing the outfit. Salwar is often loose fitting, while
churidar is a tighter cut.
• Indian women perfect their sense of charm and fashion with
make up and ornaments. Bindi, mehendi, earrings, bangles and
other jewelry are common.
• On special occasions, such as marriage ceremonies and festivals,
women may wear cheerful colors with various ornaments made
with gold, silver or other regional stones and gems. Bindi is often
an essential part of a Hindu woman's make up.
Dance
Classical Indian dance is a beautiful and significant symbol of the spiritual
and artistic approach of the Indian mind. Traditional Indian scriptures
contain many references to nritta (music) and nata (drama).
Dance and music are present at every stage of domestic life in India. One
classification divides Indian dancing into three aspects-Natya, Nritya and
Nritta. Natya corresponds to drama.
Nritya is interpretative dance performed to the words sung in a musical

melody. On the other hand, nritta signifies pure dance, where the body
movements do not express any mood (bhava) nor convey any meaning.
There is a rich variety of classical and folk dances in India. Kuchipudi

(Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Kathakali (Kerala), Mohiniattam (Kerala),
Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu), Manipuri (Manipur), Kathak (Uttar Pradesh)
and Chchau (Orissa, West Bengal and Jharkhand) are some of the most
notable dance forms in India. Besides, India has a rich tradition of folklores,
legends and myths, which combine with songs and dances into composite
art forms.
Music
Deeply embedded in Indian society, music is divided into two classical
forms: the Carnatic, mostly played in the southern regions, and the
Hindustani. Indian classical music has been heavily influenced by Hindus texts
such as the Samaveda. • Modern Indian music is often a mixture of folk, rock,
and pop.
Music is an integral part of India's culture. Natyasastra, a 2000-year-old

Sanskrit text, describes five systems of taxonomy to classify musical
instruments.One of these ancient Indian systems classifies musical
instruments into four groups according to four primary sources of vibration:
strings, membranes, cymbals, and air.
The oldest preserved examples of Indian music are the melodies of the
Samaveda.Prominent contemporary Indian musical forms included filmi and
Indipop. Filmi refers to the wide range of music written and performed for
mainstream Indian cinema, primarily Bollywood, and accounts for more than
70 percent of all music sales in the country.
 Indipop is one of the most popular contemporary styles of Indian music

which is either a fusion of Indian folk, classical or Sufi music with Western
musical traditions
LANGUAGE
AND
LITERATURE
• Literary records suggest
India had interacted in
languages of other
ancient civilization's.
• This inscription is from
Indian emperor Ashoka,
carved in stone about
250 BCE, found in
Afghanistan.
• Inscriptions are in Greek
and Aramaic, with ideas of
non-violence against
men and all living beings,
as the doctrine of Eusebeia
– spiritual maturity.
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Pooja agnihotri

Submitted to:- dr.

Traditional Indian culture, in its overall thrust towards

 Indian culture assumes that natural cosmic order

External order and beauty will naturally follow from

The Constitution of India officially recognizes 23 official languages. Many people

About 84 percent of the population identifies as Hindu, according to the

 Modern Indian theatre‘ of recent times originated in three colonial

 Traditional Indian theatre‘ includes distinct streams. This theatre

 Theatre in India is usually staged in the post-harvest season when

Nritya is interpretative dance performed to the words sung in a musical

There is a rich variety of classical and folk dances in India. Kuchipudi

Music is an integral part of India's culture. Natyasastra, a 2000-year-old

 Indipop is one of the most popular contemporary styles of Indian music

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