Greeting (Namaste)

Namaste or Namaskar is one of the most popular Indian cultures of greeting each other. It requires the person to join both palms before the chest and doesn’t require a direct body contact of the people greeting each other (like the shakehand). Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease in the world, people outside India have also started to use this form of greeting, as the disease is a communicable one. Many top leaders of the world have also been seen to greet each other by doing Namaste.

Namaste is a traditional greeting which has been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures called Vedas. Its literal meaning is ‘I bow to you!’. Its importance as written in the Vedas is that it signifies each other’s egos getting reduced in front of each other.

Festivals

Living in India, Festivals are almost absorbed in one’s culture. There’s a festival in India every month, and at times every week. The presence of diverse cultures and religions is the reason for so many festivals being celebrated in India throughout the year. Some of the major festivals celebrated in India are Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Baisakhi, Mahavir Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Navratri etc. You can further read about them in detail in our article named ’10 Popular Festivals in India’. The festivities in every festival are a delight to watch. People dress up in their ethnic and traditional dresses, pray to god, prepare delicious cuisines and visit each other’s homes to celebrate the festival in full swing.

Indian Food

This is one of the biggest specialties of Indian culture. The wide variety of Indian cuisines is well recognized all over the world. In India, the food changes from region to region. Most of the famous regions are famous because of some popular food. Bihar is known for Baati-Chokha, Bengal is famous for Fish and Rasagulla(a sweet), Hyderabad is famous for its Biryani, non-vegetarian dishes of the Punjabi and Mughlai cuisines are extremely famous, South India is known for its vegetarian dishes. The list of Indian Cuisine is almost endless! The unity in diversity of Indian Culture is evident in the cuisines themselves. People enjoy the food of other regions as well. Love and brotherhood blend in the Indian culture like spices blend in the food!

Indian Architecture 

Indian Temples and other forms of architecture are absolutely magnificent and are a delight to watch. Some of the single cut structures and wall carvings used in ancient Indian Architecture are also considered to be Engineering Marvels. Another interesting fact is that most of the temples are located along the magnetic lines of the Earth, which attracts positive energy of the cosmos. This is the reason why people feel relaxed while visiting the Indian Temples.

Indian Dances

Dances in India are very diversified and have lots of varieties. Different regions of the country are known for their folk dances. Some classical dance forms are also based on Indian Mythology. The performer narrates the mythological story through dance, expressions and gestures. ‘Natyashastra’ is a Sanskrit text which mentions 8 classical dances of India, namely Kathakali from Kerela, Mohiniyattam from Kerela, and Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Oddisi from Odhisa, Manipuri from Manipur, Sattriya from Assam, Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu and Kathak from Central India. The clothes and makeup worn while performing these dances are also very dynamic and a treat for the eyes to watch. 

Indian Scriptures

Indian culture is extremely rich in terms of Scriptures and literature. The mythological epics have been written in the form of plays, stories, and poems. Mahabharata and Ramayan are considered to be the greatest epics ever written. The importance of these scriptures is that they carry the knowledge of morals, values and wisdom required to live a peaceful and meaningful life. By reading them, one can understand various aspects of life and its motto. There is a rich heritage of Vedas, Upanishads and Granths in India, which is full of science and social values.

Indian Dresses

Indian traditional dresses are quite famous around the world. Both- Dynamic and Simple dresses are worn in India. Indian ‘Sari’ is very popular among women. In men’s clothing Kurta-Pyjama and Sherwani are famous. Most of Indian traditional dresses don’t only look soothing but also are comfortable to wear.

Other Indian Traditions and Customs

There is a lot that we can learn from the Indian culture and apply to our lives. What the environmental activists are doing for a couple of decades, has been told to perform in Indian culture. The 5 basic elements of nature Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space are all individual gods in the Indian tradition and are worshipped by people. In this culture, even animals are given the status of god and worshipped. This culture preaches us to respect every living thing and preserve it.

The ideology of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is told to people which means the world is one family. ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ which means the guest is god, is a part of the Indian culture. Fasting (Vrat) is a way to express one’s gratitude toward the gods in this culture.

The practice of Yoga is one of the most widely recognized parts of the Indian culture. It includes various Asanas and Pranayams for keeping both the mind and body fit.

1.Diwali- Festival of Lights

Diwali has a strong cultural and traditional importance in our culture. It is celebrated in the Kartika month of the Hindu calendar. It conveys the message of good over evil (Lord Rama over Ravana). It is the day when Lord Rama arrived in Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.  Also known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, this festival has not only a pan India presence but also an international presence. People begin this day with an auspicious pooja of Goddess Laxmi, they further celebrate by wearing new traditional clothes, preparing sweets and decorating their houses with glowing deeyas, garlands of electric lights and colourful rangolis. They also burst crackers at night to continue the celebrations in full swing. Bursting eco-friendly crackers is being recommended from few years so that it doesn’t have a harmful effect on the environment

2. Holi- The Festival of Colors

Holi is celebrated in the Phalguna month of Hindu Calendar. It marks the start of harvest season. It has a good presence in terms of celebrations all over the world. It is celebrated by applying and throwing colours (both wet and dry) on each other. At some places, flowers are also used. In the evening, people visit each other’s homes wearing new ethnic clothes to exchange sweets. Holi propagates the message of brotherhood, love and unity in integrity amongst people.

3. Christmas

The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with full joy every year on the 25th day of December around the globe. A Fantasy Legend has it that Santa Claus comes to homes and distributes gifts, which is very popular among children. People decorate Christmas trees in their houses with colourful and dazzling stars and hanging balls. They also pay a visit to the Church in order to seek blessings from Jesus.

4. Dussehra- Vijayadasami

Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is celebrated on the 10th day of navratri. This festival is celebrated because Lord Rama killed Ravana on this day. The burning effigies of Ravana and his two brothers is also a part of the culture of this festival. Ramleela (play of the story of Ramayan) is organised by various groups. Feats are also organised in cities and villages to celebrate this festival.

5. Durga Puja- Navaratri

Durga Puja is a major festival of Bengalis, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country. Pandals are set up with idols of Goddess Durga with other gods and goddesses. ‘Aarti’ of the gods is worth watching. The historical importance of this festival is that Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasur. A lot of different cultural activities are organised like singing, dancing to celebrate this auspicious event 

6. Janmashtami

Birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated as Janmashtmi, primarily in the northern part of India. Vrindavan and Mathura are the epicentres of the festivities. Every year, the temple priest reveals the idol of Shree Krishna at the time of his birth. Lots of people gather in the temple to be a part of the celebrations. Programmes are organised depicting different phases of Shree Krishna’ life in the forms of folklore, songs, plays and poems.

7. Ganesh Chaturthi

This festival is mainly celebrated in Maharashtra, but people from all over the country witness it and celebrate it in their own ways. It spans over a period of 10 days, while on the last day, the majority of celebrations are held. Huge idols of Lord Ganesha are carried to the seashore (or the river) in full joyous mood for the procession of Visarjan ( immersing the idol inside the water body, and wishing for the lord to return again the next year). All over the way, people keep on singing, dancing and throwing colours to enjoy. 

8. Eid-Ul-Fitr

Eid-Ul-Fitr is a major festival for Muslims in India and is celebrated with full enthusiasm by all people. People visit the mosque on this day for an auspicious prayer, and they wear new clothes and prepare delicious cuisines like sewainyan (vermicelli). Idi is given to children, a token of gift while elders hug each other and offer gifts to each other to celebrate this festival. Eid-Ul-Fitr is a festival which symbolises brotherhood among the humans. 

9. Onam

Onam is a very important festival in the southern state of Kerala in India. It is a very colorful festival indeed. It is a harvest festival which marks the new year for the Malyali people. Plays, Kathakali dances and other events such as boat races, tug of war are organised to celebrate this festival in full spirit. People also decorate their houses with flowers and rangoli and also wear new clothes.

10. Raksha Bandhan

This festival’s motive is to celebrate the pious bond of brother and sister. Sister ties a thread called Rakhi on her brother’s wrist as a symbol that he would protect her in life. In return, brother gives chocolates, dresses and most importantly a promise to protect her. Sweets and new traditional clothes are used to celebrate this festival of love and bonding.