Incredible INDIA

**Author - Alee Venkatesh **




I N D I A

Indian Culture, Indian Religion, Indian Food Habits,  Indian Traditional Festivals and Indian Arranged Marriages



INDIA - birth place for Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.  India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the globe and religion plays an important role in the everyday life of many Indians.  Family plays an important role in the Indian culture; usually the eldest male member in a family makes all important decisions and other family members abide by them. 

Indian culture is the way of living of the people of India with different languages, religions, music, dance, food and architecture and the custom differs from place to place within the country.  Indian culture is often labelled as an amalgamation of several cultures across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history which is several millions old.  Elements of India's diverse cultures (Indian religions, philosophy & Indian cuisine) have had a profound impact across the world.


 
Indian traditional festivals typically celebrate events from Hindu mythology, which coincides with seasonal changes.  There are many festivals which are primarily celebrated by specific sects and in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent such as Pongal / Makara Sankranti, Maha Shivaratri, Ugadi, Holi, Ramanavami, Diwali / Deepavali and the list goes on.


Indian food habits - Majority of Indians follow Vegetarianism due to their religious beliefs and,


Indian Arranged marriages have been considered as a tradition for centuries in Indian society even though men & women have the choice of who they want to marry.   Even in the modern era, marriages are planned by their parents or other family members with the consent of the bride & groom.  Many of the Indian families believe in arranged marriages where several factors are taken into consideration such as age, personal values, and background of the families, caste and astrological compatibility of the couple.  This is done generally to reduce cultural shock to the bride, groom and their families….