I lOvE mY iNdIa

India: Culture & Traditions

2011-07-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Culture is a term that defines the growth and development of a human being by the influence of the social and political situation. Indian culture is a blend of various cultures across the world, at different points in history and also its own rich traditions. Though development and modernity has set in. the people of India remain rooted in their strong and rich heritage

The culture of India is inherent from its rich and diverse migrations and invasions from over 5000 year old history. It has an immense physical, religious, racial and linguistic variety. Indian culture is defined by the ideas, thoughts and philosophies prevalent in the country and its people.

The uniqueness of Indian culture lies in its strong social system and family values. The elders are considered the driving force and so are respected and loved. The guests are considered as gods and are treated with respect and love, even if by foregoing some of the personal pleasures. Indians are always ready to help one another in times of need. The philosophy of distributing joy and sharing sorrows is also an important part of Indian culture. Such unity in diversity can be seen here which teaches tolerance and respect for others.

The mildness and humaneness of Indian culture can be seen in all aspect of life. India has people from all religions and walks of life living together in harmony. India being the birth place of many religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, there is freedom to worship and practice any religion throughout the country. In times of calamity as well as celebrations, all religions come together and share the feelings of one another.

Indain,Festivals,Food,religions, rituals, artifacts, monuments, costumes, music and dance, language and literature form an inseparable part of its culture. The diversity can also be seen in the variety of languages spoken here – around 1000, including the regional dialects). The constitution of India recognizes Hindi and English as the two official language used for the Union Government.

India is the most diverse and secular country with people from all religious backgrounds following their beliefs and teachings. Having such a diverse and varied population, India is a country of festivals and occasions. The festivals of all religions are celebrated throughout the nation bringing everyone closer. The three national holidays – Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanthi are celebrated nation wide. Apart from that there are different other religious festivals observed across India. Then there are some local or region specific festivals celebrated by the people of that particular region.

Another notable aspect of Indian culture is the importance of cuisines in the life of people. The main ingredient is the various spices and herbs. Each region has its own mix of spices and elaborate cooking method to make an assortment of dishes. Food has an important role in bringing the family together. It is a time when all members of the family sit and share their daily experiences.

Culture is not only about the art, architecture and literature but it is a part of the people right from the childhood. The culture of a country is shaped by the people and their upbringing- what ideas and thoughts have been put into their development. Indian culture is formed by blending the various influences from the neighbors and invaders as well as by preserving its ancient heritage.

61 Interesting Facts About . . . India

2011-01-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles.^g
India is the largest democracy in the world.ⁱ
The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.^c
Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.^f
To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.^f

It is illegal for foreigners to import or export Indian currency (rupees)

It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.^f
India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.^j
India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.^e
More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.^l
Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one’s natural mother.^k
Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.^f
Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.^f
Many Indian wives will never say her husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child.^f
A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings.^b
India is the birthplace of chess.^l The original word for “chess” is the Sanskritchaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.^d
The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel.^m

Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha

The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals.^a
The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call “woven winds.” Mogul emperors called the fabrics “morning dew” and “cloth of running water.”ⁱ
In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.^b
The Himalayas—from the Sanskrit hima, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode”—are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains.^m
India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second.^l
In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, women will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.^k
With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles.^f
In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.^f
The Bengal tiger is India’s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left.^m
Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian.^h
Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498.^l
The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India’s worst famines are associated with British rule in India.ⁱ
Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India.^f
About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country’s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan.ⁱ
India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals.^l
Mumbai (Bombay) is India’s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass.^l
Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning “Great Soul” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948.^m

The Lotus temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year

The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í house of worship in Delhi, known as the “Lotus Temple,” is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic “petals” that are covered in marble.ⁱ
The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree.^m
Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness.ⁱ
The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epicMahabharata.^m
Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928.ⁱ
Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India.^m
The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.^m
Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.^b
Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country.^l
India’s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world.^l
India has the world’s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world’s second largest rail network, which is the world’s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers.^f

Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins

Rivers have played a vital role in India’s popular culture and folklore—they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person’s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one’s ashes in the Ganges.^f
Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered.^b
Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin.ⁱ
During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king.^a
It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women.^k
All of India is under a single time zone.^g
On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.^g
In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth’s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997).ⁱ
India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.^m
India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.^f

According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off

The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called “marbled embroidery” for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.^m
The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.^l
After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. Aryans spoke and imported Sanskrit into India, which is the mother of all European languages. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation.^l
Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the “ocean,” which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.^m
Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddess, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.^m
Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback.^a
When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister’s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).ⁿ

MaHaBoDhI tEmPlE

2010-09-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Mahabodhi temple is located in Bodh Gaya City in the state of Bihar, India. In the year 2002 UNESCO listed the Mahabodhi Temple as a world heritage site. The Mahabodhi Temple is the holiest and oldest shrine devoted to Buddhism. It is the place where Gautama Buddha got his enlightenment. The Mahabodhi temple is the oldest temple and the first temple to be constructed using bricks.

History
The Mahabodhi Temple was constructed by Ashoka in between 5th and 6th centuries. The idea of constructing the temple came as a result of Gautama Buddha’s Enlightenment at Bodhgaya. In addition a diamond throne was built marking the accurate location of Buddha’s enlightenment. In the 12th century Bodhgaya came under the control of Muslim authorities, at this era the temple was damaged and neglected. The temple was restored in 1880 by the British government under the supervision of Sir Alexander Cunningham. In the year 1949 the temple was handed over to the Buddhists.

Architecture
The whole temple is built with bricks and is the oldest among the brick structures in India. The Mahabodhi temple tower stands at a height of about 55 meters, which is bounded by four more towers which are built in the same manner. The Mahabodhi temple is bounded by railings made of stone two meters tall. In addition, the ancient railings are made of sandstone around 150 B.C. There are a few structures of Indian gods inside the temple namely “Surya”, the god of sun and “Lakshmi”, the goddess of wealth.

Attractions
The temple contains several towers which are built by many people from different parts of the world. A large amount of Buddha statues are clad in the Hindu style. In addition, there is the Niranjana River close to the temple, which has a great scenic beauty.
Currently, the Mahabodhi temple is maintained by the government of Bihar state. The government takes care of its protection and management.

MeEnAkShI tAmPlE

2010-09-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

Meenakshi Temple is one of the most popular and important temple of the Hindus. The Temple is situated in the middle of the city Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India and is a place of religious belief. On a daily basis, thousands of pilgrims pay visit to the temple. The Meenakshi temple stands as the landmark of the city. The Gopurams has images of colorful statues of gods, goddesses, animals and various mythological characters.

Meenakshi temple has four different entrances and is spread in an area of six hectors. The Parvati Hut is a part of the temple where only women can enter and men are not allowed to go in. It also has a museum called the Art Gallery, which is full of brass and stone metaphors.

During the pre-Christian era, the temple was built by Kilasekara Pandya. After a long time, it was rebuilt once again by Trimalai Nayak. The city of Madurai was ruled by the Nayak for almost 2 centuries from 14th till the 18th century. The gates of Pride known as the Gopura are more than 50 feet tall. The temple is a spectacular one with one of the best architecture ever seen in a temple. It has four towers, the north, south, east and west tower. All of them have nine stories, each with an average height of 161’3”, 170’6”, 163’3” and 160’6”. The east tower has 1011 Sudhai figures and the south tower has the highest 1511 figures. This temple is dedicated to lord Shiva and his wife Parvati, also known as Meenakshi.

RaMeSwArAM tEmPlE

2010-09-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

The temple at the core of the town of Rameswaram is called the Ramanathaswamy Temple. It is one of the most important temples in India being the second holiest place for Hindus after the Varanasi. Due to its importance, the town carries with it a carnival-like atmosphere due to the daily influx of domestic pilgrims and tourists from all walks of life. The presiding deity of this temple is in the Linga called Sri Ramanatha Swamy. The temple is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is said that the god Rama prayed to Shiva here to wash away the sin of Brahmahatya or killing of a Brahmin that he may have committed during his battle with Ravana, a demon king.

The Ramanathaswamy temple is a showpiece of South Indian architecture. Built during the twelfth century, it boasts a corridor that stretches 1,219 meters and is flanked with richly carved, 3.6-meter high granite pillars. There are around 1200 pillars in this corridor that is reputedly the longest in the world. The temple is also known for its twenty-two wells that is said to have waters that taste different from one another. Similar to other ancient South Indian temples, the temple in Rameswaram is surrounded by a high compound wall on all sides, with huge towers or Gopurams at the east and west, and gate towers at its northern and southern sides.

Another interesting part of the temple structure is the chess board-like section called Chokkattan Madapam. This is where the Utsva deities are kept and adorned during the Spring Festival or Vasntotsavam, and the Masi and Adi festivals as well.

HiNdU jAiN tEmPlE

2010-09-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

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India boasts of many temples of the Jain faith. These temples are not only places of worship for those who practice the Jain faith, but they have also become tourist attractions because of their exotic architecture. Many temples are actually located in a pilgrimage site and people regard the whole area as a sacred place. The more prominent temples are located in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gujarat.

The town of Hastinapur is considered to be one of the Jain religion’s most elaborate pilgrimage sites. In the town itself, there are at least twelve Jain temples. What sets them apart from most Jain temples is the simplicity of their architecture, a testament to the Jain qualities of prudence and integrity. Many believe that the temples here are the closest when it comes to perfection in architecture. The most popular Jain temples in Hastinapur include the Bada Mandir, where you can find an elaborate image of Bhagwan underneath the temple’s central dome. A more recent addition is the Lotus Temple, which was only completed in 1989. This small house of worship is located in a beautiful courtyard of yet another temple, the Jambudweep. There are facilities in the area for worshipers preparing for puja (prayer offering ritual).

The temples in the state of Jharkkhans are located in the picturesque and hilly pilgrimage site of Shikharji or Parasnath Hills. Most common to the temples here would be their chaumukh, or four-faced structure. Lastly, temples in Gujarat are situated in the religious town of Palitana. At least 1,300 temples are in this town, majority of them made out of marble

GiRnAr TeMpLe

2010-09-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

Girnar is located in the Junagadh region which is 327km from Ahmedabad (the largest city in Gujarat), in the state of Gujarat, India.

Since the 3rd century, Girnar has been a major religious place. Girnar is also a sacred place for Jains and the Hindus. Girnar Temples is known to be the “anthology of mountains” which contains about five mountains. The tallest among the mountains is 945 meters high. The first mountain contains Shwetamber and Digambar temples (Jain temples), these temples stand as a fine example in terms of architecture which portray the carvings on the temple structures.

There are almost 8,000 steps located from the starting point of the first peak to the very last shrine. Girnar is a sacred place for Jains and Hindus, which attracts a large number of pilgrims. The pilgrims climb all 8,000 steps barefoot as a belief that a person who climbs all the steps barefoot reaches Heaven.

The Neminath temple at Girnar is the major temple, which was built in the 11th century. The temple contains the deity of Lord Neminath, which is made of black granite and the eyes of the deity are made of precious jewels. The temple complex contains open space, courtyards, and several other minor temples. The temple roofs are inscribed with Goddesses in a dancing form. In addition, there is another temple known as Mallinath temple within the Neminath temple which is devoted to Tirthankar (Jain god). The temple was built in 1231 AD by Tejpal and Vastupal.

Besides these temples there are some minor temples namely Meravasi built in the 15th century. Married couples visit this temple to seek blessings. In addition, a mosque is located near the temple where childless women visit to enhance their fertility.

In the present day, Girnar is one of India’s biggest pilgrimage places. A race is conducted every year, the race involves climbing to the top of the 8,000 steps. A large number of people take part in it, and is the major attraction here.

GoLdEn TaMpLe

2010-08-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

The Golden Temple in India, which is often called the “Darbar Sahib or Harmandar Sahib” by the Indians, is one of the oldest places of worship for the ‘Sikhs’ and is located in Amritsar, Punjab. It is considered one of the holiest, blessed and sacrosanct places in India. It is a symbol of both beauty and peace. The temple is surrounded by a small man-made lake which has tons and tones of fishes in it. This lake is supposed to have holy water. The temple can be entered from four different sides and thus symbolizes openness, acceptance. This concept is based on the old tents which were open from all four sides, welcoming travelers from all directions.

The Golden Temple has three holy trees. There is also a small Sikh Museum near the Ghanta Ghar in Amritsar which is very rich in information, especially for the first time visitors. The entire top of the temple is made of pure gold and thus adds a lot of pride and beauty to the entire temple.

During the earlier days, this place was a huge lake surrounded by a thin line of forests. It is also said that Buddha journeyed to find out the real meaning of life spent some considerable time in this place. The first guru of the Sikh community called the Guru Nank also used to meditate in this peaceful place and years after he passed away, many of his disciples kept coming back to the site and then it finally became a sacred place. It was during the Fifth Guru, Arjana when the Temple was finally built 1604. It was Guru Arjan who installed the “Guru Granth Sahib” in the temple and appointed the first reader in August 1604. The temples architecture is that of both Hindu and Muslims. On many occasions, it was destroyed by a certain set of community and rebuilt by the Sikhs.

Incredible India photos

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