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Culture & People
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The culture of India is among the world's oldest, reaching back about 5,000 years. Many sources describe it as "Sa Prathama Sanskrati Vishvavara" — the first and the supreme culture in the world. India is a very diverse country, and different regions have their own distinct cultures. Language, religion, foods, festivals and the arts are just some of the various aspects of Indian culture.
India has 28 states and seven union territories, and each has at least one official language. While the national languages are Hindi and English, there are about 22 official languages and nearly 400 living languages spoken in various parts of the country. Most of the languages of India belong to two families, Aryan and Dravidian.
India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism. A huge majority — 84 percent — of the population identifies as Hindu. 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.
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Festivals
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India being the land of unity in diversity, has many religions and innumerable languages, cultures having own festivals. Indian festivals are integral part of the Indian culture with special social and religious significances. Dewali and Dussera are the grandest festivals of India. Don’t miss Ganesh Choturthi in Maharashtra and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Holi is the marvelous festival of colors. The birth day of Lord Sri Krishna is observed as Janmastami. Kerala during Onam is worth to visit. Pongal of South India, Nabanna of Bengal, Vaisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala are famous harvest festivals denotes the bounty and blessings received by nature. Nababarsha in Bengal and Ugadi in South India are New Year celebrations. Kumbh mela, Gangasagar mela are mostly celebrated fairs. Eid is also celebrated with great zeal. The giddha dance of Punjab, the kaykotti kali during Onam is the diversity of the Indian culture. Usually each tradition, dance or song form is associated with a festival. The Rath yatra, monthly holy days are revered by all Indians. Sweetmeats in India and attire for festivals are customary and there is a rich tradition followed by all Indians in their homes as a part of celebration.
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Cuisine
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Indian cuisine boasts Arab, Turkish and European influences. It is known for its large assortment of dishes and its liberal use of herbs and spices. Cooking styles vary from region to region. While Bengal is world famous for its’ spicy dishes, South Indian and Punjabi dishes are also worth tasting.
Wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with chana are important staples of the Indian diet. The food is rich with curries and spices, including ginger, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, dried hot peppers, and cinnamon, among others. Chutneys — thick condiments and spreads made from assorted fruits and vegetables such as tamarind and tomatoes and mint, cilantro and other herbs — are used generously in Indian cooking.
Many Hindus are vegetarians, but lamb and chicken are common in main dishes for non-vegetarians.
Much of Indian food is eaten with fingers or bread used as utensils. There is a wide array of breads served with meals, including naan, a leavened, oven-baked flatbread, and bhatoora, a fried, fluffy flatbread common in North India and eaten with chickpea curry. And above all don’t forget to taste fruits like Mango and bengali sweatmeats like Rasgulla.
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