The culture of India could be defined as all the social and political forces that influence the life of people living in the country. The Indian music, the Indian dance, the Indian literature, the Indian cinema, the Indian festivals and the Indian cuisine are all the deciding factors of the culture of India. However there is no such thing as Indian culture except the common feelings of humanity, tolerance, unity, secularism and closely knit social system because each region of India has its own culture.

India is a nation with vast diversities and the beauty of the nation lies in the unity among these diversities. This feeling of oneness is the result of the culture of India. The old traditional values fuse with the modern principles giving a new shape to the culture. Though there is an impact of westernization, some of the basic traditions are running in the bloodstream of people and will be there forever depicting our unique culture to the world. One such tradition is hailing man as the head of the family and treating women at par with goddesses of Hindu mythology.

Wherever the people of India live, they conduct their marriages based on the culture of India. The unique way of inviting guests with Namaste, Vanakkam and Vango cannot be seen anywhere else. That is why you feel at home at any Indian traditional homes. The guests are treated as messengers of God and given undue respects and treatments.

Flowers have an important role in Indian culture. They are worn on the hairs of women and are also woven into garlands. The special guests are welcomed with these flower garlands. Also the bride and groom wear these garlands during their marriage ceremony and exchange them as a sign of love. Homam and Agni are important for Hindu marriages and Roka ceremony is performed by Punjabis and Berana is a custom of Sindhis. Groom offer Mehar to the bride in Muslim marriages. These diverse cultures blend together to form the culture of India.

The gagra cholis and saris and dhotis are considered to be the mark of Indian culture. Especially the saris are five and a half meter cloth worn around the body in a particular pattern which is extremely unique to India. Pattu sari or silk sari is the tradition of South India worn during marriages and special occasions.

Applying mehndi or henna on your palms is yet another culture that is unique to India. Nowhere can you see this natural dye applied on your hands. The leaves of the henna plant is crushed and made into a paste and many artistic designs are drawn on your hands with them. After few hours the design will glow on your palms.

The classical Indian dances like Bharatnatyam and Kathak and Indian classical music, Carnatic music and Hindustani music are the cultural traits of the nation. The music sabhas and art galleries that are established in various places take up the work of propagating the culture of India. The Ministry of Culture was established by the Government of India to promote the Indian culture. The website of this ministry is http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/ and the details are available in the website both in English and Hindi.

Article Posted By : Sumazla  On November 25, 2011lView All Articles

Suhaina Mazhar is a freelance content writer and blogger with five years experience in content writing. http://sumazla.blogspot.com is her blog.

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Keywords :
indian culture , indian cultural symbols , culture of india , cultural symbols of india