India is a highly diverse country with many languages, religions, ethnic groups, and castes coexisting. It has a rich cultural heritage spanning architecture, dance, music, art, and spiritual traditions. Music and dance are deeply ingrained in daily life from birth to marriage to death. Sports extend beyond cricket to include field hockey, kabaddi, chess, and others. India has contributed greatly to fields like medicine, architecture, and spirituality through practices like Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. Its unity lies in this diversity, with peoples and cultures blending together harmoniously across its states.
2. India Encapsulated
• Though as a fervent patriot, I could wax
eloquent for hours about the glorious
and varied traditions of my country, to
fit all of it within a time-capsule would
be impossible.
• Let me therefore present those facets
of India that are closest to my heart.
• Before I get to that, I’d like to bust a few
myths about my country..Let’s get
started!
3. Whatiscommonlybelieved..
Indians do not respect Women
Indians are very poor and so is India
India is a land of diseases and unhygienic
health practices.
Indian film industry is synonymous with
Bollywood and people dancing in colorful
clothes.
The ground reality..
Indian scriptures accord great respect to women.
Ancient Indian history indicates that women had a high
standing in society. It is true that women have been at a
disadvantage in some aspects in the past few centuries,
but the divide is rapidly reducing.
India is the third largest economy in the world, and s
home to both the very rich and the very poor.
India has a rich tradition of medicine and healing. This is
the country that produced the World’s first surgeon ,
and introduced Ayurveda to the world. Health practices
vary widely between rural and urban areas, and the
prevalence of diseases is much higher in poverty-
stricken areas.
Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world in terms
of movies produced, tickets sold. Besides the Bollywood
industry, there are many regional language-specific cine-
industries that constitute Indian Cinema.
DebunkingMythsAboutIndia
4. TheSacrednessofallThings
Authority is respected in India - Parents, Teachers, and
other elders are accorded a great deal of respect.
Indians regard various animals, such as cows and snakes,
as manifestations of God.
Indians revere plants such as Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
and trees such as Neem and Banyan and worship them as
a form of God.
Indians treat Fire, Air, water – the basic elements of life,
as forms of god.
The rivers in India are respected and are believed to be
holy. The Kumbmela at Ganga, a holy event where
millions throng to take a dip in the Holy Ganga, is the
largest religious congregation in the world.
Indians follow a
spiritual tradition
of seeing all
things, animate
and inanimate, as
holy
manifestations of
God.
5. TheArtsofIndia:Dance
Anger In Kuchipudi
– A dance form in
the Indian State of
Andhra Pradesh
Joy expressed in
Bharatanatyam A
dance form in the
Indian State of -
Tamilnadu
Lord Siva(Nataraj)
Dancing
Dance is at the heart of Indian culture. We have a dance for every mood and every occasion.
Lord Siva(also called Lord Nataraja) – King of Cosmic Dance, according to Hindu Mythology dances according
his mood viz. Anger- Siva Tandav, Joy – Ananda Tandav. The dance forms in India are as diverse as the nation.
Sorrow in Kathakali,
a dance form in the
Indian state of
Kerala.
6. Lullabies heard from
mother and
grandmother when a
Child
Alphabets & numbers
taught in a rhythm
echoing all throughout
the classroom
Every Indian Festival
begins and ends with
Music
Music in marriage
Ceremony
We find people in the
agricultural fields
working comfortably in
the scorching sun
singing
Singing devotional
songs
The Bhagavad-Gita and
holy chants during
death
Birth
Schooling
Festivals
Marriage
Death
Later life
At Work
TheArtsofIndia:Music
Music in India is coupled tightly with daily life.
We have music to mark every phase,celebration & sorrow of life – from birth to death.
We have instruments which echo with nature – viz. Sitar, Murali, Shehnoy and
Mrudanga.
7. Architecture:AnAmalgamationofvariouscultures
7500 BCE
Indus Valley
Civilization
322 BCE 1526-1857
Mauryan Empire Satavahana
Kingdom
Mughal Empire
230 BCE 1858-1947
British Raj Modern Indian
Post 1947
Indian Architecture has evolved with age. It has been influenced by the
various empires that ruled in India and hence is a concoction of various cultures.
8. Health:Backtotheroots
Total Wellness
MIND BODY SOUL
India has introduced
Meditation and Vipasana
to the world.
The same is being
practiced since the times
of Lord Gautama Buddha.
Yoga and Ayurveda have
been few of the many
great contributions
by India.
Millions across the world
practice them, to achieve
holistic health.
India can be aptly
Termed the spiritual
capital of the world.
Thousands flock to India
in pursuit of God and
peace within.
9. Sports:NotJustCricket!!
Hockey is the national sport of India.
The Indian Men’s hockey team is the most successful field hockey team in
Olympic history with 8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Both Indian Kabaddi men and women’s teams are amongst the most
successful teams worldwide.
Neither team has ever lost a Kabaddi World championship.
Chess originated in India.
Mr. Vishwanathan Anand is a former world champion and a legend in the
world of Chess.
Mrs. Sania Mirza has recently attained World No.1 ranking in Women
Doubles Lawn Tennis .
Mr.Prakash Padukone and Miss.Saina Nehwal were ranked No.1 in the World
in Men’s and Women’s Badminton Categories
India is indisputably a cricket-crazy country, but there’s more to Indian sports than
cricket.
10. Linguistic
driversity:2200
different
languages and 22
Official languages
Caste diversity:
more than 3000
castes exist in
India
Religious diversity: Four
of the world’s Major
Religious
(Hinduism,Budhism,Jain
ism,Sikhism)were born
in India
Geo-political
unity:29 States and 7
Union Territories
Ethnic Diversity:
India has more
than 200 ethnic
groups
TheSpiritofIndia:UnityinDiversity
• Any description of India
would be incomplete
without a mention of
the mind-boggling
breadth of diversity that
exists across the
country.
• A peaceful co-existence
amongst such diversity,
and a joyous partaking
of each others’ cultures,
is probably the single
most important legacy
India and Indians leave
to the world!!