India OnLine  

   Home

Culture

It has been said that India is less a country than a continent, and it holds as many variations in religion, language, customs, art and cuisine as it does in topography.

Indian art is basically religious in its themes and developments, and its appreciation requires at least some background knowledge of the country's faiths. The highlights include classical Indian dance, Hindu temple architecture and sculpture the military and urban architecture of the Mughals, miniature painting, and mesmeric Indian music. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all Hindus are officially vegetarians. Although you'll find vegetarians everywhere, strict vegetarianism is most prevalent in the south.  

Indians love the cinema and the Indian film industry, centered on Mumbay, is one of the largest and most glamorous in the world. The vast proportion of films produced are gaudy melodramas based on three vital ingredients: romance, action and music.  

Religion seeps into every facet of Indian life. Despite being a secular democracy, India is one of the few countries on earth in which the social and religious structures that define the nation's identity remain intact.  It has continued to do so for at least 4000 years despite invasions, persecution, colonialism and political upheaval.  So resilient are its social and religious institutions that it has absorbed, ignored or thrown off all attempts to radically change or destroy them.

India's major religion, Hinduism, is practiced by approximately 80% of the population. Hinduism has a vast pantheon of gods, a number of holy books and postulates that everyone goes through a series of births or reincarnations that eventually lead to spiritual salvation. With each birth, you can move closer to or further from eventual enlightenment, the deciding factor is your karma. 

Festivals

India is blessed with a huge number of festivals, some so spectacular that you would be a fool to miss them if you were remotely within spitting distance. They start with the secular Republic Day Parade in Delhi each January, which includes elephants, a procession, and plenty of military might and Indian princely splendour. 

Holi in February is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals in the north of India. It marks the end of winter and basically involves throwing coloured water and red powder over as many people as you can in one day.

 The massive Kumbh Mela festival commemorates an ancient battle between gods and demons for a pitcher (kumbh).  Don't mistake the great car festival Rath Yatra for a rally race. This spectacle in Puri in June/July involves the gigantic temple car of Lord Jagannath making its annual journey, pulled by thousands of eager devotees. 

Onam in August/September is the biggest festival of Kerala.  The Nehru Cup Snake Boat Race on the backwaters at Alappuzha (Alleppey),  take place on the second Saturday of August.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in August/September is dedicated to the popular elephant-headed god Ganesh. It's celebrated widely, but with particular enthusiasm in Maharashtra. Shrines are erected, firecrackers let off, clay idols are immersed in rivers or the sea, and everyone tries to avoid looking at the moon.

September/October is the time to head for the hills to see the delightful Festival of the Gods in Kullu. This is part of the Dussehra  which is at its most spectacular in Mysore and Ahmedabad.

Diwali (or Deepavali) is the happiest festival of the Hindu calendar and is celebrated over five days in November. Sweets, oil lamps and firecrackers all play a major part in this celebration in honour of a number of gods.

  Channels