Touching Feet

Those who do not know much about the Indian culture and tradition get very baffled when they see children in India touching the feet of their elders. This is, infact, the commonest Indian gesture and touching someone's feet means the person who is doing the act is showing his respect and subservience to the one whose feet he/she is touching. However, one important aspect related to this gesture is that the person's whose feet is being touched is always superior in age and position.

Touching elders' feet is the first lesson in manners and etiquette that all Indian children are taught. So, generally, one is supposed to touch the feet of a person if he/she happens to be an elder member of the family or a respected spiritual person. Since Indians normally live in joint families, this gesture is performed by the sons and daughter-in-laws for their parents and grand parents. Though very young children are guided by their parents to learn this gesture, the comparatively elder ones are expected to do it spontaneously.


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In Indian culture, there are specific occasions when a person is expected to touch his / her elders' feet. These occasions include before one is departing for or arriving back from a journey, weddings, religious and festive occasions, etc. In earlier times, it was a like a custom in India for youngsters to touch their parents' feet first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Though there are many who still follow this rule, the truth is that the tradition is now slowly waning away with time.


When an elder person's feet are being touched, he /she, in turn, is supposed to touch the head of the person doing the act and bless him /her for long life, fortune and prosperity. Interestingly, the act of touching feet gets somewhat intensified during certain occasions. For instance, many people prefer prostrating before the deities in temples or before persons of high rank spiritually and even politically. Touching the feet is an integral part of the Indian culture and tradition and not adhering to it by natives is considered as disrespectful

Modern Indian Culture

The culture of modern India has evolved many folds since the ancient ages. The history of India has played a significant role in shaping up the Indian culture. In the historical past, India has been invaded several times and this brought in a mix of cultures. The other factors that contributed towards shaping the culture of India are its unique geography and different religions. The modern Indian culture is a much evolved version of the ancient cultures in India. Also, the modern Indian culture has been profoundly influenced by the west.


Post independence, the culture of India began to evolve further to what we call the modern India culture. This can be seen clearly in its architecture, performing arts, food, clothing, and festivals.


Modern Indian Culture: Architecture


Post independence, two schools of architecture came in India. These were:

• Revivalist
• Modernist

The Revivalists continued the colonial legacy in their architecture and the Modernists were inspired by the European and American form of architecture. The contemporary Indian architecture could not blossom completely as several social problems beset it. Thus the foreign architects played a significant role and influenced the modern Indian architecture. The designing of Chandigarh city revolutionized the concept of architecture in the country, which formed the basis of the modern Indian architecture.


Modern Indian Culture: Music


The modern Indian music has been highly influenced by the western form of music. The modern Indian music comprises following types:


Remixes - where faster beats are blended into old tunes.
Fusion - where western music forms are combined with Indian classical music.
Film music -songs or instrumentals from films.
Indi pop- Indian version of the pop music from the west.


Modern Indian Culture: Theatre


Modern Indian theatres are not more limited to songs, dance, and dialogues but have much deeper connotation. Today the Indian theatres are portraying the picture of the practical society. The amalgamation of the multi-religious aspects and the multi-lingual aspects along with the incorporation of modern techniques and concepts has brought about newer developments in the theatrical culture of India.


Modern Indian Culture: Food


Today Indian cuisines are no more limited to the traditional Indian cuisines. The influence of westernization is prominent in the modern Indian platter as well. Food items like breads, pastas, noodles, cakes, pizzas and others such foods which were once unknown to this section of world, features prominently in the Indian kitchens today. The modern Indian cuisines pack in the traditional cuisines of India as well cuisines from other parts of the world. Over the years, newer and newer methods of cooking from different parts of the world have influenced the Indian cuisine. Vegetables like broccoli and bell pepper and fruits like cherries and strawberries which were unheard of in the ancient Indian kitchens are very much used today in Indian preparations.


Modern Indian Culture: Festivals


Some of the festivals of modern India are Diwali, Holi, Vijayadashami, Thai Pongal, Onam and Durga Puja. Besides, festivals like Bakr-Id, Eid ul-Fitr, Buddha Jayanti, Vaisakhi and Christmas also feature on the modern Indian festivals calendar.

Modern Indian Culture: Clothing


The modern Indian clothing reflects a blend of traditional and western culture. While shirts paired up with trousers or jeans are worn by majority of the Indian men, women in India are found to prefer salwar kameez, sarees and kurtis for clothes. Besides, Indian women also wear western outfits like shirts or tops paired with skirts, jeans, or trousers and other western dresses

Indian Culture is Great , rich and Diverse

Culture is a major factor in determining the diversities of a population. Starting from the Indus Valley Civilization to the present age Indian culture has undergone gradual changes. Indian culture is known all over the world for its rich heritage and huge tradition. Indian culture has a lot of diversities. It is a large country extending over large areas of land. It covers areas of mountains, plateaus, valleys, snow covered peaks, river plains and deserts and forests. India is the seventh largest country in the world geographically and has the second largest population after china. With a population over a 100 billion people a country is bound to have diversities. There are people of various religion, caste and tribes all over India. There are people from different areas following different lifestyles. 

The food habits and the clothing habits of the people of one region differ from that of another region. India is a secular and democratic country where people are allowed to follow any religion that they wish to. India is one of the largest democratic nations in the world today. The diversities of Indian culture make it unique in its own way. It is a male dominated society but women are also given preferences. Though the caste system is still prevailing in India the lower castes are given separate representation and separate preferences. 

Though there are such diversities all Indians are united under a common religion called “CRICKET”. Indian people are very sentimental and are very religious and emotional. Indians are great believers of god and thus they never leave home without offering prayers to the almighty. These factors make Indian culture great, rich and diverse. Though it has the highest diversities it is unique due to its rich heritage.

Indian culture and heritage

Indian culture and heritage

It’s not only difficult to define Indian culture and heritage within a few lines or paragraphs or even a page but it is quite impossible also. Even to some people it is nothing other than profanity. What makes people have exceptions in this regard? Well, the reason is one and simple. The cultural heritage of India is not the end result of any single influence or cultural or imperialistic onslaught but has also been influenced by its long lasting and tenacious history, exclusive natural features along with assorted demography. One may get amazed to know that this is not the end but the simple commencement. 

Indian culture and heritage is the only hope for vitiated humanity. Indian culture and inheritance has had lots of other commendable and extensive influences too and her ancient heritages, in this regard, deserve special mentions. This had its initiation at some stage in the Indus Valley Civilization and did develop to a greater extent during the Vedic era of ancient India, growth and fall of Buddhism, Golden age under the Gupta Empire, persistent intrusions from Central Asia, colonization of European powers in the later stages and certainly the glorious and colossal Indian freedom struggle. Another exclusivity of India is that her languages, chronicle of culture, religions, architecture, music and customs do differ from one place to another but above all, there does exist a commonality. 

Is this an accident or a uniqueness that is best preserved by the Indian mindset on the whole? You may love to know that this is something that astounds the West still. What can be deduced from the said assertions then? Indian culture and heritage, in a nutshell, is nothing save an amalgamation of an assortment of sub-cultures that spread across the Indian subcontinent and traditions, having primeval histories all at once.

India is regarded as the oldest surviving civilization on the Earth and its own heritage and culture is still functioning. And as per Western chroniclers, it is the last hope for vitiated humanity.

Map Of India

India    States : 28    Union Territories : 7    Area : 3,287,263    Capital : New Delhi    Population : 1,027,015,247 Toshiba Satellite L775-S7130 Laptop PSK3SU-07W020

Culture of India

The culture of India refers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life in India and its people. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures is spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.

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Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC, and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago. Several elements of India's diverse culture, such as Indian religions, yoga, and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world.

National Anthem of India

The national anthem of India, Jana-gana-mana, was composed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24th 1950. Jana-gana-mana was first sung on 27th December, 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The songs, Jana-gana-mana, consists of five stanzas. The first stanza constitutes the full version of the National Anthem. Playing time of the full version of the National Anthem is approximately 52 seconds. The national anthem of India is as follows-

CULTURE IS THE ART OF LIVING

It refers to the intellectual development evolved out of the physical and mental training acquired in the course of the ages in a country.
The culture of India (or) Indian culture can be best expressed as comprising the following


Humanity - The mildness of the Indians has continued till date, despite the aggressiveness of the Muslim conquerors and the reforming zeal of the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch. The Indians are noted for their humanness and calm nature without any harshness in their principles and ideals.


Tolerance - Gandhiji’s satyagraha principle or Ahimsa - freedom without taking a drop of blood, worked wonders and gave credit to India in the international arena. Swami Vivekananda in his famous Chicago Speech on the 11th of September, 1893 spoke of this.


Unity - India is a conglomeration of men and women of various castes and creed. It is a fusion of old traditional values and the modern principles, thus satisfying all the three generations in the present India. The Elite businessman and the common vendor on the road share the same news and worship the same deity .


Secularism - India is a secular coun country as stated in its Constitution. There is freedom of worship throughout the length and breadth of India without any breeches or violations of any other’s religious beliefs. The Hindus, The Muslims, The Christians, and The Sikhs in times of calamity and during festivities come openly together to share their thoughts despite their religious affinities. The catholicity of the Indian culture can be best understood by the fact that hundreds of Hindus visit the Velankanni shrine or the Nagore Dargah in Tamilnadu.


Closely knit Social system - The Indian Social System is mostly based on the Joint family System, but for some of the recently cropped nuclear families. The families are closely knit with Grandfathers, fathers, sons and grandsons sharing the same spirit, tradition and property. 


Cultural Heritage


India’s one billion people have descended from a variety of races. The oldest ones are the Negroid aboriginals called the Adivasis or First settlers. Then there are the Dravidians, The Aryans, the Mongols, The Semites and innumerable inter-mixtures of one with the other.


The great Epic, The Mahabharata and the sacred text, the Bhagavad-Gita teaches the Indians that survival can only be in terms of quality of life. It provides a framework of values to make the Indian culture well- groomed.


Swami Vivekananda (1863- 1902) laid stress on physical development as a prerequisite for spiritual development, which in turn leads to the development of the culture of the country. For the past 1000 years various foreign invasions like that of the Huns, the Kushanas, The Arabs, The Muslims, TheDutch, The French and the British took place. So the Indians were exposed to cultures that were totally alien to them. Several attempts were made by the Indian rulers like the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Palas, the Rashtrakutas, the Cholas, and the Vijayanagar Emperors to give the Indians an administration, which was in consonance with the cultural heritage of the country.

Later, religions became an important part in the culture and places of worship became community centers. The innovations in religious thinking brought two popular beliefs in India, namely Buddhism by the Buddha and Jainism by the Saint Mahavir. Then there was a socio-religious shift or orientation in the Indian culture.


Later in the century Westernization of Indian culture began , but it was stemmed by the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswathi, Swami Vivekananda, Narayana Guru, Maharisi, Aurobindo, etc. Then there took place a Renaissance, that emphasized the need to recognize the country’s own culture while ushering in an age of modernity.  


If India’s culture tended to become tolerant, accommodating, open-minded, deeply but not ostensibly spiritual and concerned with the common human welfare, then it is due to the great and relentless efforts of our great ancestors and leaders. Thanks to them our country has achieved a common culture, despite a staggering pluralistic society