Values Of Indian Culture

~ Yashika Sehgal 

India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.

~ Mark Twain

INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN CULTURE

Indian culture is one of the richest and oldest cultures prevalent in the world today. Since numerous communities and religions present in India follow their own customs and rules, India has a very diverse culture. India was considered a treasure trove of gold before British colonisation. When we became a colony of the Britishers, a lot of things changed in our country. The highest impact was on the vast and ethnographic culture of India.

GIFTS BY INDIA TO THE WORLD

Zero is the gift of India to the rest of the world. It was invented by Aryabhatta. He also developed trigonometry in the 5th century. In fact, Taxila University (present-day Pakistan), which was the first university in the world was founded in the 10th century BCE by Chanakya in Magadha, Bihar. It is a common assumption that beauty products were developed by the western countries and thereafter they passed on from one country to another. But shampoo, which is the key ingredient to keep our hair strong and shiny, was introduced in India during the time of the Mughals as a form of head massage. In Britain, it was introduced by a Bengali entrepreneur from Bihar. During the Covid-19 pandemic, where the entire world was sitting at home, most of us resorted to playing board games to pass our time. Most people might not be aware that snakes and ladders which all of us have been playing since childhood, is a creation of Indians. Originally called Mokshapat, it was a game based on morality during the British colonisation period. Later it made its way to England and America. Ayurveda, homoeopathy, yoga, Unani, Siddha, naturopathy are the six indigenous systems of medicine that originated and are still prevalent in India which are now being recognised worldwide.

INDIAN TRADITIONS

Indian culture is based on tolerance and equality. It gives equal amounts of space to all communities and people to co-exist beautifully. It is an astonishing fact that Indians pray for both living as well as non-living beings such as trees and plants. Tulsi is considered holy here and women sing hymns and pray in front of it every morning in many parts of India. Family bonding is still a very important part of everybody’s lives here. All the family members try and have at least one meal a day sitting together. It has been observed that even now all the three generations of the family live together in the same house. Drinking water from copper utensils has also been a tradition in India. It has a lot of health benefits attached to it. Eating with hands is a value that has been taught to people in India from the time they are born. This helps in building a deeper connection with food and also the good bacteria in our hands reach our gut.

The Indian tradition of greeting everyone by folding both hands together which is called “namaste”  has been a long one. Indeed this tradition has helped people a lot during recent times of social distancing.

‘Atithi Devo Bhava’  literally means the guest is equivalent to God. Guests have always been of supreme importance in the culture of India.

ATTIRE

 Different people from different parts of the country have diverse ways of dresses such as Marathi women wear nauvari saree, lungi is worn by men in south India, patiala suit is worn in Punjab.

DANCES

 India is a land of ‘unity in diversity‘, and our dances are no different. For example, Bharatnatyam is from Tamil Nadu, Kathakali is from Kerala, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Sattriya is from Assam.

FOOD

 Indian food and cuisine forms an integral part of the culture of India and are also one of the critical factors of India’s popularity worldwide. The style of cooking varies from region to region, though unanimously, Indian food has a significant reputation for its extensive use of spices. Chhole bhature is a famous dish from Punjab, litti chokha is a dish from Bihar, rasgulla and mishti doi are famous desserts from West Bengal. 

LANGUAGES

India is also very linguistically diverse. Dialects change even within a few kilometres of travel in the state. There are 22 scheduled languages recognised by the constitution of India.

UNIQUENESS OF INDIAN CULTURE

After marriage, Indian women have a tradition of putting vermillion and wearing red bangles after marriage. Young people bow down and touch the feet of the elders, parents, and teachers. In turn, the elders give blessings by placing their hands on the head of the young people. The holy Kumbh Mela is an event celebrated every three years at one of the four locations—Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nashik or Ujjain that captures the science of astronomy, astrology, spirituality, liberation, ritualistic traditions, knowledge, faith, cultural customs and social practices. Indian festivals are a matter of celebration for everybody.

A unique occasion that is celebrated in India is Nag Panchami during which serpent blessings are sought to bring peace and welfare to the family. For 15 days in May and April, India beholds the largest festive gathering of transgender and transvestite individuals at Koovagam in Tamil Nadu. Other festivals like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Gurupurab are also celebrated in India with enthusiasm and zeal.

Must read:https://skchildrenfoundation.org/indian-culture-and-its-impacts/