Culture is referred as the way of
life in India. Remarkably known for its cultural diversity, this country is a
home to several ethnic groups, each having their own language and culture. The
diverse history of the country, woven together in a tapestry presents the
foundation of world’s major religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and the spread of
Islam and Christianity. But wait, this is just the hook to the country’s rich
cultural diversity. There is more to the culture of India than just the
religions. The elaborate rituals, traditions, festivals, music, food, dance,
architecture also comprise in the great cultural wealth of the country. It is
ingrained in the culture of the country to present the unique hospitable aspect
to the visitor from different parts of the world.
This hospitable side binds the
country together under the belief of Atithi Devo Bhavah under which every guest
is greeted at par with God and respected as a family member in terms of cordial
hospitality, food and comforts. Everywhere in the country, a traveller will
surely experience this commonness. Any household you visit, any hotel you stay,
any sightseeing you do; every Indian will make sure you receive the best of
hospitality in the country. Subdued in this common belief, rests the foundation
of culture based on architecture, languages, religions, dances and cuisines.
Besides the awe-inspiring
hospitality, it’s the ancient cultural heritage that bridges the ethnic
diversity and brings the country on the single platform. It is the country’s
inclinations towards the classical music and dance. Depicting the
social-religious life, music in India is essentially melodic. There are two
prominent bastions of classical music, first is Hindustani Music prevalent in
north and Carnatic Music in south.
Like other aspects of Indian
culture, dance also has different interpretations and there are eight distinctive
classical dance forms in the country that belong to different states. They are
Kathak (UP), Kathakali and Mohiniattam (Kerala), Odissi (Odisha), Bharatnatyam
(Tamil Nadu), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri (Manipur) and Sattriya
(Assam). But together, these dance forms through gestures and postures present
the rich and elaborative side of the country’s culture.
Food is another specimen of rich
Indian culture. Seasoned with spices or Masalas, these curries, flatbreads,
biryanis, and other colloquial cuisines present the rich side of India’s
culinary wealth.
Festivals in India are loud and
colourful affairs, pulling in every one in the grandeur of the celebrations.
There are festivals dedicated to regions and religions that are celebrated with
great pomp and splendour. For Indian festivals, it is often said that the
festive time runs in the country throughout the year. This quote itself
reiterates the importance of festive times in the eternal culture of the
country. Also, these festivals invite tourists from different parts of the
world to participate and enjoy being the part of Indian festivities.
Architecture of India also echoes
the age old resilience of the country that constantly absorbed new ideas. This
openness to new ideas has brought to the country the scintillating collection
of ancient ruins, sculpted temples, caves, stupas, mosques, forts, palaces and
a lot more in its rich architecture.
This diversified culture also
forms one major reason why tourists Go for
India. The unique unity in diversity of the country’s civilization can be
experienced during the cultural tours of the country.
