Name – Darshil Bhansali Roll Number - HFBMS030

Subject – Foundation Course

INDIAN CULTURE: RELIGIONS, TRADITIONS & CUSTOMS

India's culture is a conglomeration of smaller, distinctive civilizations. Clothing, festivals,

languages, religions, music, dance, architecture, cuisine, and art are all part of Indian culture.
Most notably, throughout its history, Indian culture has been impacted by a number of other
cultures.

We live in harmony despite the complexity of Indian culture, which includes a wide variety
of religions and rituals. Human Values and Holism are the two pillars of Indian culture that
are most crucial. Human values are moral, spiritual, and ethical values, whereas holism is the
Greek word for unity or oneness.
Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism are among the major world religions that are
thought to have originated in India. Hinduism continues to be the most widespread religion
despite the fact that other faiths like Islam and Christianity have also ingratiated themselves
into the community.

Indian culture is the history and innovations that have their roots in or are connected to the
ethnolinguistically varied country of India. The word also refers to nations and cultures
outside of India whose histories have been significantly influenced by or linked to India by
immigration, colonisation, or other means, particularly in the south and southeast Asia.
Languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, and customs in India vary from region to
region.

We live in harmony despite the complexity of Indian culture, which includes a wide variety
of religions and rituals. Human Values and Holism are the two pillars of Indian culture that
are most crucial. Human values are moral, spiritual, and ethical values, whereas holism is the
Greek word for unity or oneness.

Religious Culture:
Some people think of religion as a social activity made up of a guiding philosophy (religious
faith), institutions (like the Church), practise (worship and rituals performed inside religious
institutions), and culture (architecture, paintings, music).
In India, 79.8% of the population practises Hinduism, 14.2% follow Islam, 2.3% practise
Christianity, 1.7% practise Sikhism, 0.7% practise Buddhism, and 0.4% practise Jainism,
according to the 2011 census.

Religion has left a significant mark on society, which is evident during festivals, weddings,
funeral rituals, pilgrimages, the wearing of religious symbols (such as jewellery or clothing
codes), and physical alterations to the body, such as male circumcision.
Hinduism
Hinduism is variously referred to as an Indian religion, a body of religious doctrines, a
tradition, a way of life, or dharma—a sacred law that Hindus adhere to. Hindus revere
Brahman, a universal soul or divinity who is worshipped in a wide variety of ways. These
representations contain both human and animal forms, as well as the complementary qualities
of male and female deities.

Hinduism is a varied system of belief characterised by a number of related concepts, rituals,

cosmological frameworks, pilgrimage locations, and textual sources that touch on a variety of
subjects, including theology, metaphysics, methodology, Vedicyaina, yoga, agamic rituals,
and temple construction. The four purusarthas, or proper goals or aims of human life, or
dharma (ethics/duties), Artha (prosperity/work), karma (desires/passions), and moksha
(liberation/freedom from the passions and the cycle of death and rebirth as well as karma
(action, intent, and consequences) and samsara (cycle of death and rebirth), are prominent
themes in Hinduism The eternal obligations of Hinduism include, among others, honesty,
refraining from harming living things (ahimsa), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, virtue,
and compassion. Worship (pooja), homa/havan recitations (pravachan), devotion (bhakti),
chanting (jaapa), meditation (dhvana), sacrifice (yama), charity (dana), selfless service (seva),
honouring one's ancestors (shradhha), family-oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and
sporadic pilgrimages are all part of Hindu practises (yatra). In addition to practising various
forms of yoga, some Hindus embark on lifetime gsamvasa (monasticism) in order to reach
moksha, leaving behind their social lives and financial assets.

Hinduism is a religion that worships a variety of deities. The earth is ruled by three Gods,
according to Hinduism. Shiva is the destroyer, Vishnu is the preserver, and Brahma is the
creator. When the planet was in danger, Lord Vishnu incarnated himself in many forms to do
his part in protecting it. Consorts of the three Lords who govern the earth are also goddesses.
The goddess of wisdom Sarasvati is the consort of Brahma. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth
and prosperity, is Vishnu's consort. Parvati, who is revered as Kali or Durga, is Shiva's
spouse. There are numerous other Gods and Goddesses in addition to these. Ganesh, an
elephant-headed deity who is also the son of Shiva and Parvati, Hanuman, an ape-like deity,
Surya, the sun's lord, Ganga Ma, the Ganges River's goddess, Samundra, the sea's lord, Indra,
the Gods' king (though he isn't a particularly significant deity), Prithvi, the earth's goddess,
and Shakti, the goddess Hindus refer to their goddesses as "Ma," which means mother.
Food:

Hindus are primarily vegetarians. Even meat-eating Hindus are forbidden from consuming
beef since the cow is revered as a sacred animal. It is best to inquire with each Hindu as to
whether they will or won't eat eggs, onions, or garlic. The main components of a typical
modern urban Hindu Lacto-vegetarian meal are grains like rice and wheat, legumes, green
vegetables, and dairy products. Flatbreads made of millet may be among the staples,
depending on the region.

In Hinduism, prasada refers to food and drink offered to a deity during worship (puja).
The offering is thought to be consecrated when the deity consumes it and then gives it back.
The worshipers then distribute and consume the offering. The prasada's effectiveness results
from the deity's touch on it. Because a guru is regarded as a living god by his or her disciples,
food left by a guru is known as prasada. All food becomes consecrated and is therefore
regarded as prasada if it is discreetly offered to God with the appropriate prayers before
consumption.
Traditional Festivals:

Makar Sankranti, Shivratri, Holi, Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, and Diwali are a few of
the most significant Hindu holidays. They are observed in a variety of ways across the nation.
India is a country with astounding diversity, a distinct and vibrant mosaic of people from
different religious backgrounds. Every occasion and season has its own festival. Numerous
festivals honour notable historical personalities and events, remember particular harvests, or
show adoration for the gods. Every festival, which includes home adornment, the donning of
new garments, music, dancing, and feasting, is centred on the customs of prayer and the
asking of favours. Festivals are a manifestation of the celebratory spirit. They are
opportunities for the larger family and friends to gather together and are observed with
enthusiasm and joy. They provide women a chance to socialise as well. Numerous of these
events are linked to certain meals.
Clothing:
The most emblematic piece of traditional attire from the Indian subcontinent is the saree (also
known as a sari or shari). It is made up of a drape that can range in length from 4.5 metres to
8 metres and in width from about 1 metre. It is typically worn around the waist, with one end
exposing the stomach and the other shoulder. In contrast to Hindu men who commonly don
short coats (angarkha) and Muslim men and women who typically dress in long white cotton
shirts (kurtah) and bottoms, Silk and cotton were woven into a variety of regionally specific
designs both in antiquity and now. The Mughals significantly aided India's development of its
textile skills, and clothing dyeing evolved into a form of art, with the predominance of
mordant dyeing, resist dyeing, and Kalamkari processes.
Indian trade has long placed a high priority on textiles. India once engaged in lucrative spice
and garment trade with China, Southeast Asia, the Roman Empire, the Arabs, and, during the
17th century, also with Europe. Calicos, chintz, muslins, and silk with prints infiltrated the
English market and ultimately became symbols of national pride for the movement.