Introduction

  • Indian culture is as many sided as life.
    • It includes intellectual and social aspects of any human being.
    • It also takes account of the aesthetic instinct as well as the spiritual impulses of human being.
    • It has also, in effect, an appeal to the subconscious as a force making for the formation of character.

Features of Indian Culture

  • Continuity and Change
    • Harappan civilization / Culture
    • Vedic, Buddhist, Jain and many other traditions
  • Variety and Unity
    • Taste, Languages & Dialects, Festivals
    • Different styles of music and dance, both folk and classical
    • Various ethnic groups
    • Chikan work of Lucknow, Phulkari embrodery of Punjab,Kantha embroidery of Bengal, Patola of Orissa
    • Climate
    • Unity in diversity is reflected in our political forms as well.
    • Mahajanapadas-Ashoka, Samudragupta and Harshavardhana-Mughals-British Empire-Independent India
  • Secular Outlook
    • Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsees and Jews
    • Everyone is free to profess, practise and propagate any religion of his/her own choice.
  • Universalism
    • message of peace and harmony to the entire world
    • Vasudheivakutumbakam
  • Materialistic and Spiritualistic
    • Harappan civilization was an urban one (systematic town planning)
    • Discoveries of theories-like “earth rotates around the sun” or “earth is round” were made by Indians longbefore Europe accepted them
    • Jainism and Buddhism are silent about the existence of God

CULTURAL IDENTITY, RELIGION, REGION AND ETHNICITY

  • Our cultural identities are based on various factors such as religion and region.
  • Even in the forms of worship and rituals there are sectorian and regional differences.
  • However, at the level of rituals and lifestyles there is a lot of intermingling among followers of different religions.
  • Ethnic culture is strong among the tribal groups.

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