Today, everybody is hell-bent on learning about the unique culture and traditions of India before visiting this country. India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions where religion plays a definitive role in the lives of its citizens. It is also the land where several unique customs are practiced, which foreigners would find quite bizarre.
These customs are found in the scriptures and they have ruled the way of life of the whole nation. The cultural traditions in India are so deeply rooted that they are passed on across generations without being questioned. The vibrant festivals, ancient temples, and majestic palaces tell a unique tale of the country. If you are planning to pay a visit to this country, the following information will be of utmost help to you: –
1. Festivals and Religions
India is a perfect example of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Due to the existence of different religions, many festivals are celebrated here. Hindus celebrate Diwali and Holi while Muslims celebrate Eid. The Indian government also offers the required facilities to celebrate these festivals. It grants security and lets the people celebrate their festivals without any fear. The Indian New Year festival is also celebrated in different regions. Some of these festivals include PohelaBoishakh, VishuvaSankranti, GudhiPadwa, Puthandu, Ugadi, Vaisakhi, etc.
The Christians and Sikhs celebrate Christmas and Baisakhi respectively. Then, there are Jains who celebrate Mahavir Jayanti and Buddhists who celebrate Buddha Poornima. Thus, everybody is free to lead a life their religious scriptures have shown them.
2. The Power of Namaste
Every country has its own way of greeting each other. In India, people say Namaste while greeting each other. However, this simple way of greeting has the potential to bring peace and harmony between people and even countries. It is the most popular custom that is practiced nationwide. Many famous foreign personalities such as Barack Obama, and BanKi-Moon understood its potential and greeted the people with it on many occasions.
The meaning of ‘Namaste’ or ‘Namaskar’ is ‘I bow to you’. And when one greets the other person by saying it, it means ‘May our minds meet’. Namaha which is ‘na ma’ (not mine) indicates the reduction of the ego of a person in front of the other.
3. Fasting
Indian people have been practicing fasting for quite a long time. Not only Hindus, but other religions too observe fasts or vrats in their own ways. People observe fasts on a variety of religious occasions to express their gratitude to their Gods. Observing a fast means that you are avoiding your basic needs and punishing yourself to cleanse off your sins.
4. Custom of Joint Family
Unlike the Western countries, India follows a joint family structure. In this structure, the parents, wife, and children live together with each other. A joint family system is widely prevalent in Indian society throughout the country. However, now this system is fading away and the trend of nuclear families is on the rise. However, still most people follow this system.
5. Wedding Rituals
Weddings in India are full of rituals. A lot of decoration is done on this day to make it more memorable. It is one of the most important rituals in Hinduism. The families of the bride and bridegroom spend more and more money to make this occasion grand. Many rituals are performed during a wedding which is based on the region as well as the preferences of the two families. Some of the most important rituals of marriage include Panigrahana, Kanyadaan, Saptapadi, etc.
All rituals hold great importance and are important to follow by the families of the bride and bridegroom. While Kanyadaan means that a father is giving away his daughter to the bridegroom, Saptapadi means taking seven steps around the agni. The bridegroom ties a Mangalsutra(a necklace) around the neck of the bride. Once the Saptapadi ritual is over, the couples are husband and wife.
The Sikh people follow different rituals at the time of marriage. They follow a ceremony which is called Anand Karaj. The bride and bridegroom walk around Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book) 4 times to solemnize the marriage. A traditional Muslim wedding has its own customs. Some of the rituals they follow include Nikah, Mehar, the signing of the marriage contract, etc. The Christians in India follow the customs that are practiced in the western countries.
6. Marriage
Arranged marriages have become a norm in the country. The concept of arranged marriage dates back to the Vedic era. In the olden times, the age to get married was less than 21. However, even today, in some rural areas, girls get married before the age of 21. The concept of arranged marriage is the favorite among Indians and is widely prevalent in society. In this system, the parents of the couples select the right bride and groom based on their professional and financial status, food habits, and other interests.
A dowry system is widely prevalent in the society. It is given to the bridegroom from the family of the bride. Dowry is a part of a woman’s family wealth that is given to her. The bride’s family performs this ritual as a daughter who has no legal claim on the property of her natal family. The parents of the bride also give valuable jewelry and costly household goods to their daughter in marriage.
The divorce rates in India are still low compared to other countries. However, the couples in Indian marriages also face many issues after the marriage. This is the reason why divorce rates are increasing. However, the divorce rates in cities are higher than the rural regions. In almost 80% of divorces, it is the woman who initiates the divorce. According to recent studies, the trend of self-arranged marriages is increasing.
7. Atithi Devo Bhavah
The concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ also dates back to the ancient time. This is an integral part of the culture and tradition of India. This means that we consider our guests as God. Thus, the guests always hold an important position in the Indian society. There is much importance of Atithi Devo Bhavah in Indian society. It focuses on a good relationship between a host and a guest.
8. Clothing
In India, traditional clothing is greatly influenced by many factors such as climate, local culture, and rural or urban settings. It represents the culture and tradition of India. However, the traditional clothing has undergone a noticeable change over the years. In the olden times, the traditional dresses were gamcha, lungi, langota, dhoti, saree, etc. Stitched clothes such as salwar-kameez or churidar with dupatta are also popular in different parts of the country. While salwar is a loose-fitting garment, a churidar is a tight-fitting trouser.
The women in India also wear jewelry such as necklaces, bangles, and earrings on special occasions such as festivals and marriage ceremonies. They wear different types of ornaments made with silver, gold, and stones. They also wear a bindi on their forehead which is auspicious for a Hindu woman. The women can wear bindi of any color according to her choice. They also wear sindoor which is a traditional red powder.
Wearing sindoor is important as it is the traditional mark of a Hindu married woman. However, a single woman does not wear it. The women from other religions too do not wear it. The clothing styles and make-up vary greatly according to the region and climate. Thus, while Christians wear Western dresses, Muslims prefer wearing Arabic clothes. Men usually wear kurta-pajamas, trousers and shirts. However, in cities, men and women of all religions wear jeans, shirts, suits, kurtas, trousers, etc.
9. Literature
The literature is the reflection of the diverse culture and tradition of India. Over the years, many prolific writers have captured the essence of cultural customs in India through literature. The two popular Hindu epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata contain the stories of Gods as well as demons. The Ramayana, which has 24000 verses, tells us about the story of Rama who is the Avtar of Vishnu. Ravana, a demon king abducts his wife Sita and Rama saves her in the end. This epic holds great importance in the culture and tradition of India.
The Mahabharata is also a great Indian epic that tells the story of Pandavas and Kauravas. They battle to get the throne of Hastinapura. Apart from the main story, there are other smaller stories attached to the epic. They are about philosophical discourses and other people.
These tales have an important role in the culture and customs of India. Both Ramayana and Mahabharata tell about the triumph of good over evil. They have been showing the value of devotion and loyalty for quite a long time. Some of the regional variations of these epics include Hindi Ramcharitamanasa, Kannada Pampa Bharata, Assamese Saptakanda Ramayana, Tamil Ramavataram, Malayalam Adhyathmaramayanam, etc. Apart from Ramayana and Mahabharata, there are other 5 great epics in Tamil language. These include CivakaCintamani, Valayapathi, Manimegalai, and Silappadikaram.
10. Temples
Temples also play an important role in preserving as well as promoting the culture and tradition of India. There are numerous temples in the country and each of them showcases different architectural styles. They are the places of worship that foster spiritual growth and connect the people with the divine. There is a custom that devotees have a bath before offering their prayers in the temple. They do this to cleanse themselves of evil influences as well as negative thoughts.
Apart from this, the devotees should also wear proper attire before entering the temple. It is also necessary to remove your footwear outside the temple before entering it.
11. Animals
The wildlife in India also leaves a great impact on the culture of a particular region. This has been the subject of many fables and tales such as Jataka and Panchatantra tales. Of all the animals, the cow is known as the holy animal in Indian culture. People consider it as their mother and worship it. Lord Krishna is always depicted as a cow herder. According to the story, he used to play his flute, and cows and gopies used to dance to his tunes. He was known as ‘Gopala’ or ‘Govinda’ which means the ‘friend and protector of cow’. The vehicle of Lord Shiva is also Nandi which was a sacred bull. Thus, the cow holds a special place in the hearts of Indians. Killing this animal and consuming its meat is also a sin. Many Indian states have also passed laws to protect this holy animal.
12. Food
Due to a multi-ethnic society, India offers a variety of cuisines to tourists. Most people are vegetarians here. You will find vegetarian dishes in Rajasthan and Gujarat. However, non-vegetarian food is available in Punjabi, Mughlai, and North Indian cuisine. One of the traditions in India is to eat your food with your hands. However, before start eating, you must wash your hands. Also, make sure to use your right hand for eating your food.
Indian cuisine is immensely popular across the world. Thus, it is an important part of India’s culture. The cooking style of Indians also varies from city to city. However, Indian food is made with the help of different herbs and spices. You will find a different variety of cuisines throughout the country just like clothes, religious practices, clothes, and languages. One of the interesting things to note is that every region of the country is famous for a particular dish.
However, the staple food of India is wheat, rice, Bengal gram, etc. This food is eaten by most people in the country. Another interesting thing to note is that many cuisines of Kashmir are influenced by the cooking styles of Afghanistan, Persia, Central Asia, etc.
13. Dancing
Being a multi-religious country, different dance forms are practiced in the different regions of the country. These dances represent the culture of the region they originate from. 8 classical dances are described in ‘Natyashastra’, which is a text of performing arts. These dance forms include Manipuri from Odisha, Kathak from North, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, etc.
All the above-mentioned dance forms are dance dramas, in which an artist or dancer narrates the entire story through his dance. He or she makes gestures to tell a story. Most of these stories are mythological. The classical dancers abide by the rules and guidelines while performing these dance forms. These rules are found in the Natyashastra. Folk dances, just like classical dances originate from the different parts of India. Through this dance, the folk artists narrate a story that is passed from generation to generation.
Unlike the classical dances, folk dances are quite popular in the rural areas. A folk dancer depicts the incidents of the daily life of the villagers.
14. Drama
In the olden times, drama was a great way to tell the stories. There have been many playwrights in the past that have created many famous Sanskrit dramas. Some of them include Shudraka, Kalidasa, Vishakadutta, Harsha, Bhavabhuti, etc. One of the famous texts of Indian theatre was Natyasastra which was written by Bharat Muni. It also tells about the right people to be involved in theatre performances. This text was written to explain the Natyaveda which was a manual for theatre workers. Apart from the storytelling, the drama also emphasized the importance of the drama artists. This also led to their immense popularity.
15. Puppetry
Indian puppetry art dates back to the ancient era. You can easily find many references to it in folk tales, folk songs, and ballads. Puppetry had an important role in traditional entertainment. Several types of puppets are used in the country to entertain the people. Themes for Puppet art are based on legends and epics. Puppetry was introduced in India in the 1920s by Professor Y.K. Padhye. However, his son popularized this art later.
16. Music
Music is also an important part of Indian culture. A Sanskrit text named Natyasastra classifies the musical instruments based on five systems of taxonomy. One of these systems classifies the instruments into 4 groups- strings, air, cymbals, membranes, etc. Indian music has been preserved over the years. The melodies of Samaveda are the perfect examples of it. Even today, these melodies are sung by people. The Samaveda melodies consist of 7 notes or svaras such as Krusht, Pratham, Dwitiya, Tritiya, Chaturth, Mandra, and Atiswar.
The Samaveda as well as other texts had a great impact on the tradition of Indian classical music. Today, it exists in two styles— Hindustani and Carnatic music. Both of these music systems are based on Raga. The current Indian music includes a variety of folk, classical, pop, rock, and classical music. However, traditional classical music has taken a backseat among the youth.
Conclusion
I hope that now you have got a valuable insight into the rich culture and tradition of India. However, if you want to explore Indian culture at its best, you can pay a visit here. Don’t wait! Plan your trip with us and create memories to cherish for a lifetime.