CONTEMPORARY INDIA

ASSIGNMENT – 1
Submitted by :Shubhang Mishra (BAJMC - B)

Topic chosen : Art and Culture Of India

INDIAN CULTURE: CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

Indian culture is built upon centuries of history and heritage, making it one of the
oldest in the world.
Indian culture is among the world's oldest as the people of India can track their
civilization back as far as 4,500 years ago. Many sources describe it as "Sa
Prathama SanskratiVishvavara" — the first and the supreme culture in the world.
Western societies did not always see the cuture of India very favorably, according
to Christina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in
London. Early anthropologists once considered culture as an evolutionary process,
and "every aspect of human development was seen as driven by evolution," she
told Live Science. "In this view, societies outside of Europe or North America, or
societies that did not follow the European or Western way of life, were considered
primitive and culturally inferior. Essentially this included all the colonized
countries and people, such as African countries, India, and the Far East."
However, Indians made significant advances in architecture (Taj Mahal),
mathematics (the invention of zero) and medicine (Ayurveda) well in advance of
many western civilizations
POPULATION OF INDIA

Today, India is a very diverse country, with more than 1.3 billion people making it
the second most populous nation in the world after China.
The ethnic makeup of India, according to the CIA is 72 percent Indo-Aryan and
25 percent are Dravidian.
About 35 percent of the population lives in urban areas with an estimated annual
rate of a little over 2 percent moving to cities each year. New Delhi is the most
populous city in India with a population of 31.18 million people, according to the
CIA, second only to Tokyo, Japan for its population size. Mumbai is the second
largest city in India with 20.67 million people, followed by Kolkata, Bangalore,
Chennai and Hyderabad, all with more than 10 million people.
According to Statista, 26.16 percent of India population was under 14-years-old as
of 2020, 67.27 were aged 15 to 64 and 6.57 percent were 65 or older.

LANGUAGES OF INDIA

India has 28 states and seven territories, according to the World Health
Organization. There is no official language in India, according to a Gujarat High
Court ruling in 2010, though Hindi is the official language of the government and
English is considered a subsidiary official language. The Constitution of India
officially recognizes 23 official languages.
Many people living in India write in Devanagari script. In fact, it is a
misconception that the majority of people in India speak Hindi. Though many
people speak Hindi in India, at least 56 percent of Indian residents speak
something other than Hindi, according to the CIA. Bengali,, Marathi, Telugu
Tamil, Gujarati and Urdu are some other languages spoken in the country.
Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language, came from Northern India. How the
language started has been a point of argument amongst linguists. It shares many
similarities with English, French, Farsi and Russian languages.

RELIGION IN INDIA

India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and
fourth largest religions in the world. About 84 percent of the population identifies
as Hindu.
About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, making it one of the largest Islamic
nations in the world. Christians and Sikhs make up a small percentage of the
population, and there are even fewer Buddhists and Jains, according to the
"Handbook."
The CIA cited similar figures. According to its World Factbook, around 80 percent
of the population is Hindu, 14.2 percent is Muslim, 2.3 percent is Christian, 1.7
percent is Sikh and 2 percent is unspecified.

INDIAN FOOD

When the Mughul Empire invaded during the sixteenth century, they left a
significant mark on Indian cuisine. "The influence of the Mughal rulers who ruled
India is distinctly perceptible in the style of cooking made famous by them. This
cuisine is a fusion of Turkish and Persian cuisine, where mostly ground spices are
used in the preparation of unique flavor and taste," wrote Krishna Gopal Dubey in
"The Indian Cuisine".
Indian cuisine is also influenced by many other countries. It is known for its large
assortment of dishes and its liberal use of herbs and spices. Cooking styles vary
from region to region.
Wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with chana are important staples of the Indian diet.
The food is rich with curries and spices, including ginger, coriander, cardamom,
turmeric, dried hot peppers, and cinnamon, among others. Chutneys — thick
condiments and spreads made from assorted fruits and vegetables such as tamarind
and tomatoes and mint, cilantro and other herbs — are used generously in Indian
cooking.
Many Hindus are vegetarian, but lamb and chicken are common in main dishes for
non-vegetarians. "The Guardian" reports that between 20 percent and 40 percent of
India's population is vegetarian. A tradition of vegetarianism appears to go back to
the ancient past. "India may have been vegetarian during the Mohenjodaro and
Harappan civilizations. We do not know for sure as its script has not been
unlocked, but it has been proven that the ancient Dravidian civilization was truly
vegetarian," wrote Dubey.
Much of Indian food is eaten with fingers or bread used as utensils. There are a
wide array of breads served with meals, including naan, a leavened, oven-baked
flatbread; and bhatoora, a fried, fluffy flatbread common in North India and eaten
with chickpea curry.

INDIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ART

The most well-known example of Indian architecture is the Taj Mahal, built by
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It combines
elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
India also has many ancient temples.
India is well known for its film industry, which is commonly referred to as
Bollywood. The country's movie history began in 1896 when the Lumière brothers
demonstrated the art of cinema in Mumbai. Today, the films are known for their
elaborate singing and dancing as well as their elaborate action sequences.
Indian dance, music and theater traditions span back more than 2,000 years. The
major classical dance traditions — Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri,
Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Kathakali — draw on themes from mythology and
literature and have rigid presentation rules.
INDIAN FASHION

Indian clothing is closely identified with the colorful silk saris worn by many of
the country's women. The origins of this garment go back to Ancient India and
evolved over time to include more expensive fabrics and adornments as they came
to the country, according to "The Times of India". A traditional piece of clothing
for men is the dhoti, an unstitched piece of cloth that is tied around the waist and
legs. Men also wear a kurta, a loose shirt that is worn about knee-length.
For special occasions, men wear a sherwani or achkan, which is a long coat with a
collar having no lapel. It is buttoned up to the collar and down to the knees. A
shorter version of a sherwani is called a Nehru jacket. It is named after Jawaharlal
Nehru, India's prime minister from 1947 to 1964. He actually preferred the achkan,
according to Tehelka, an Indian newspaper. The Nehru jacket was primarily
marketed to Westerners and made famous by The Beatles and The Monkees as
well as being worn by a number of James Bond villains.

BUSINESS IN INDIA

India's currency is the rupee. Almost 62 percent of the country's GDP comes from
the service sector with industry making up 23 percent and agriculture contributing
15.4 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. Its primary agricultural
products are sugar cane, rice, wheat, buffalo milk, milk, potatoes, vegetables,
bananas, maize, and mangoes.
Indian business culture places emphasis on strong hierarchies and formalities,
according to Santander, with decisions, particularly important ones, being
considered for a length of time and ultimately made by those at the top of a
company.
FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Indian festivals and holidays are often loud, intense, colorful, and chaotic—all at
the same time. Traveling in India during normal circumstances is already exciting,
but you'll certainly have no shortage of photo opportunities or stories to share after
witnessing some of these grand celebrations!
Many of the major festivals in India are celebrated throughout Southeast Asia and
other parts of the world where large Indian or Hindu communities exist. You'll be
able to enjoy many of the same celebrations if you happen to be traveling in places
such as Malaysia and Singapore.
South Asia is the most populous and most densely populated place in the world.
Large Indian festivals and national holidays are among the biggest festivals in
Asia. They can slow transportation to a crawl as multitudes of people take time
from work to celebrate and visit family. Plan accordingly; book transportation well
in advance, particularly train travel.

India's vibrant mix of cultures and religions greatly increase the chances that you'll
be pleasantly surprised by an unexpected celebration while traveling. India has so
many religious holidays that they're sometimes considered too much of a good"
thing that obstructs business.

INDIAN MUSIC

Classical and Folk music are the 2 main phases of Indian music. The folk music
varies from one state to another in India and is based on local history and way of
life of people. Classical music on the other hand demands mucha good quality of
training and practice from an individual. It is classified into 2 major categories: the
north-Indian classical and South-Indian classical music. Both styles mostly have
similar features. The Hindustani music displays more overseas influences
including the Persian and Arab styles.

INDIAN DANCE

India is the territory where countless dance forms developed. The folk dances in
India describe the specialty of a specific state or tribe. Each dance form, including
the classical dance, is characterized by its ideal costume, make-up, elegance and
style. The rules of classical dances are being followed for 100s of years by the
dancers. Gracious postures and movements of face, eyebrow, cheeks, eyeballs, etc.
make a vital part of different classical dance types in India. A classical dancer as
well learns to portray different feelings with expressions of face and movements of
different body parts. The main classical dance forms in India include Kuchipuri,
Manipuri, Odissi, OttanThullal, Krishnattam, Bharatanatyam dance style
developed in Tamil Nadu state., Kathak dance form developed in Hindu temples in
north India and was refined for hundreds of years., Mohini Attam, Chakiarkoothu,
Chhau, Koodiyattam, etc.

HOW IS INDIAN CULTURE CHANGING WITH TIME

Interdependence – people are becoming independent, they want to live their life
in their own way, parents are giving freedom to their family members to live their
life independently.
Education – education is considered as a big contributor of good life. Children are
more focustowords their education and marks. They understand that even to get
jobs on Quota they must have education certificates.
Religion – religion is becoming more interesting. Youngsters want to understand
what is in their religion. They are also questioning their priests and questioning
some of the rituals and not following it blindly.
Woman power – Respect for woman is going up with more and more women
taking managerial roles, officer roles in Armed Forces and taking entrepreneurial
roles.
Political awareness – People are more politically aware and are watching the
leaders closely. Thanks to the media even the smallest news is shown very
effectively so the leaders are conscious of their character seen in the public.
Environmental protection – awareness towards environment protection is going
up. People are refusing to burst crackers on festivals, loud noise is being reduced,
air pollution is seen as a big issue for the future generation, water conservation and
electricity conservation is both seen as an important factor to words environment
protection.
Health consciousness – people are becoming very health-conscious, the exercise
regularly, people eat very carefully and try to keep their weight in control. People
are more conscious on smoking, drinking and eating fatty foods. People who do
not take care of their health are seen as old fashion.
Foreign travel – people who have money or have dreams they tend to visit a
foreign country not just for the purpose of pleasure but for the purpose of learning
how to live a better life. This is bringing a lot of awareness towards cleanliness,
soft speaking, respecting woman and overall becoming independent in their lives.
Investment-people are becoming more aware of their retirement investments at
the same time they also want to live a pleasant life by spending more. People are
constantly looking for more opportunities to find higher rates of returns and fixed
deposit‘s are not seen as the only way of investing. However inclination to words
share market and mutual funds is still low.
Nationalism – people are now feeling proud of being an Indian. India has made
her mark in every stage in the world. Indians feel proud with what their country
has achieved in the last 70 years. It may not be up to the mark from first world
countries perspective but for a population of 1.3 billion the development that has
happened in the last 70 years and presence that the Indians have made on
international economy makes every Indian feel proud.
REFERENCE

https://www.quora.com/How-are-Indian-cultures-evolving
https://www.indiaeasytrip.com/art-and-culture-of-india.html
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/India_Art_and_Culture_13
00_1900
https://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html