India (Hindi: भारत Bharat; see also other languages), officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारतीय गणराज्य Bharatiya Ganarajya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the largest democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometers (4,671 mi). It borders Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. The disputed Northern Areas of Jammu and Kashmir claimed by India and currently administered by Pakistan shares a small border with Afghanistan to the extreme northwest. Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia are in India's vicinity in Indian Ocean.
Home to the Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early eighteenth century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became a modern nation state in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by widespread nonviolent resistance.
India is the world's twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the third largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms have transformed it into the second fastest growing large economy; however, it still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition. As a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.
भारतीय गणराज्य*
Bharatiya Ganarajya
Republic of India
The name
India
(pronounced)
is derived
from Indus,
which is
derived from
the Old
Persian word
Hindu, from
Sanskrit
Sindhu, the
historic
local
appellation
for the
Indus
River. The ancient
Greeks
referred to
the Indians
as Indoi,
the people
of the
Indus.
The
Constitution
of India and
common usage
in various
Indian
languages
also recognise
Bharat
as an
official
name of
equal
status.
Hindustan which is the
Persian word
for "Land of
the Hindus"
and
historically
referred to
northern
India, is
also
occasionally
used as a
synonym for
all of
India.
Gini (2004)
36.8
HDI (2007)
0.619 (medium) (128th)
Currency
Indian rupee (INR)
Time zone
-
Summer (DST)
IST (UTC+5:30)
not observed (UTC+5:30)
Internet TLD
.in
Calling code
+91
History
Stone Age rock shelters
with paintings at the
Bhimbetka rock shelters
in Madhya Pradesh are
the earliest known
traces of human life in
India. The first known
permanent settlements
appeared over 9,000
years ago and gradually
developed into the Indus
Valley Civilization,
dating back to 3300 BCE
in western India. It was
followed by the Vedic
period, which laid the
foundations of Hinduism
and other cultural
aspects of early Indian
society, and ended in
the 500s BC. From around
550 BCE, many
independent kingdoms and
republics known as the Mahajanapadas were
established across the
country.
Paintings at
the Ajanta
Caves in
Aurangabad,
Maharashtra,
6th century.
The empire
built by the
Maurya
Empire under
Emperor
Ashoka
united most
of South
Asia in the
third
century BCE.
From 180
BCE, a
series of
invasions
from Central
Asia
followed,
including
those led by
the
Indo-Greeks,
Indo-Scythians,
Indo-Parthians
and Kushans
in the
north-western
Indian
subcontinent.
From the
third
century CE,
the Gupta
dynasty
oversaw the
period
referred to
as ancient
"India's
Golden
Age. "Among
the notable
South Indian
empires were
the
Chalukyas,
Rashtrakutas,
Hoysalas,
Pallavas,
Pandyas, and
Cholas.
Science,
engineering,
art,
literature,
astronomy,
and
philosophy
flourished
under the
patronage of
these kings.
Following
invasions
from Central
Asia between
the tenth
and twelfth
centuries,
much of
north India
came under
the rule of
the Delhi Sultanate,
and later
the Mughal
Empire. Mughal
emperors
gradually
expanded
their
Kingdoms to
coverlarge parts
of the
subcontinent.Nevertheless, several
indigenous kingdoms,
such as the Vijayanagara
Empire, flourished,
especially in the south.
In the seventeenth and
eighteenth century, the
Mughal supremacy
declined and the Maratha
Empire became the
dominant power.From the
sixteenth century,
several European
countries, including
Portugal, the
Netherlands, France, and
the United Kingdom,
started arriving as
traders and later took
advantage of the
fractious nature of
relations between the
kingdoms to establish
colonies in the country.By 1856, most of India
was under the control of
the British East India
Company.
A year later, a
nationwide insurrection
of rebelling military
units and kingdoms,
variously referred to as
the First War of Indian
Independence or Sepoy
Mutiny, seriously
challenged British rule
but eventually failed.
As a consequence, India
came under the direct
control of the British
Crown as a colony of the
British Empire.
During the
first half
of the
twentieth
century, a
nationwide
struggle for
independence
was launched
by the
Indian
National
Congress and
other
political
organizations.
In the 1920s
and 1930, a
movement led
by Mahatma
Gandhi, and
displaying
commitment
to ahimsa,
or
non-violence,
millions of
protesters
engaged in
mass
campaigns of
civil
disobedience.
Finally, on
15 August
1947, India
gained
independence from British
rule, but
was
partitioned
with
independent
governments
for the
Dominion of
India and
the Dominion
of Pakistan in
accordance
to wishes of
the Muslim
League,
along the
lines of
religion to
create the
Islamic nation state
of Pakistan. Three
years later,
on 26
January
1950, India
became a
republic and
a new
constitution
came into
effect.
Mahatma
Gandhi
(right) with
Jawaharlal
Nehru, 1937.
Nehru would
go on to
become
India's
first prime
minister in
1947.
Since independence,
India has experienced
sectarian violence and
insurgencies in various
parts of the country,
but has maintained its
unity and democracy. It
has unresolved
territorial disputes
with China, which in
1962 escalated into the
brief Sino-Indian War;
and with Pakistan, which
resulted in wars in
1947, 1965, 1971, and
1999. India is a
founding member of the
Non-Aligned Movement and
the United Nations (as
part of British India).
In 1974, India conducted
an underground nuclear
test.
This was followed
by five more tests in
1998, making India a
nuclear state. Beginning
in 1991, significant
economic reforms have
transformed India into
one of the
fastest-growing
economies in the world,
adding to its global and
regional clout.
Government
The
Constitution
of India,
the longest
and the most
exhaustive
constitution
of any
independent
nation in
the world,
came into
force on
January 26,
1950. The
preamble of
the
constitution
defines
India as a
sovereign,
socialist,
secular,
democratic
republic.
India has a
quasi-federal
form of
government
and a
bicameral
parliament
operating
under a
Westminster-style
parliamentary
system. It
has three
branches of
governance:
the
Legislature,
Executive,
and
Judiciary.
The
President of
India is the
official
head of
state
elected
indirectly
by an
electoral
college for
a five-year
term. The
Prime
Minister is,
however, the
de facto
head of
government
and
exercises
most
executive
powers. The
Prime
Minister is
appointed by
the
President
and, by
convention,
is the
candidate
supported by
the party or
political
alliance
holding the
majority of
seats in the
lower house
of
Parliament.
The legislature of India
is the bicameral
Parliament, which
consists of the upper
house called the Rajya
Sabha (Council of
States) and the lower
house called the Lok
Sabha (House of
People).permanent body,
has 245 members serving
staggered six year
terms. Most are
elected indirectly by
the state and
territorial legislatures
in proportion to the
state's population.
National
Symbols of India
Flag
Tricolour
Emblem
Sarnath Lion Capital
Anthem
Jana Gana
Mana
Song
Vande
Mataram
Animal
Royal Bengal
Tiger
Bird
Indian
Peafowl
Flower
Lotus
Tree
Banyan
Fruit
Mango
Sport
Field hockey
Calendar
Saka
The Rajya
Sabha, a The
543 of the Lok Sabha's
545 members are directly
elected by popular vote
to represent individual
constituencies for five
year terms. The other
two members are
nominated by the
President from the
Anglo-Indian community
if, in his opinion, the
community is not
adequately represented.
The executive branch
consists of the
President,
Vice-President, and the
Council of Ministers
(the Cabinet being its
executive committee)
headed by the Prime
Minister. Any minister
holding a portfolio must
be a member of either
house of parliament. In
the Indian parliamentary
system, the executive is
subordinate to the
legislature, with the
Prime Minister and his
Council being directly
responsible to the lower
house of the parliament.
India has a unitary
three-tier judiciary,
consisting of the
Supreme Court, headed by
the Chief Justice of
India, twenty-one High
Courts, and a large
number of trial courts.
The Supreme Court has
original jurisdiction
over cases involving
fundamental rights and
over disputes between
states and the Centre,
and appellate
jurisdiction over the
High Courts. It is
judicially independent,
and has the power to
declare the law and to
strike down union or
state laws which
contravene the
Constitution. The role
as the ultimate
interpreter of the
Constitution is one of
the most important
functions of the Supreme
Court.
Politics
India is the
largest
democracy in
the
world. For
most of its
democratic
history, the
federal
government
has been led
by the
Indian
National
Congress
(INC).
State
politics
have been
dominated by
several
national
parties
including
the INC, the Bharatiya
Janata Party
(BJP), the
Communist
Party of
India
(Marxist) (CPI(M)),
and various
regional
parties.
From 1950 to
1990,
barring two
brief
periods, the
INC enjoyed
a
parliamentary
majority.
The INC was out of power
between 1977 and 1980,
when the Janata Party
won the election owing
to public discontent
with the "Emergency"
declared by the then
Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi. In 1989, a
Janata Dal-led National
Front coalition in
alliance with the Left
Front coalition won the
elections but managed to
stay in power for only
two years.
The North
Block, in
New Delhi,
houses key
government
offices.
The years 1996–1998 were
a period of turmoil in
the federal government
with several short-lived
alliances holding sway.
The BJP formed a
government briefly in
1996, followed by the
United Front coalition.
In 1998, the BJP formed
the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) with
several regional parties
and became the first
non-Congress government
to complete a full
five-year term. In the
2004 Indian elections,
the INC won the largest
number of Lok Sabha
seats and formed a
government with a
coalition called the
United Progressive
Alliance (UPA),
supported by various
left-leaning parties and
members opposed to the
BJP.
Foreign relations and military
Since its
independence
in 1947,
India has
maintained
cordial
relationships
with most
nations. It
took a
leading role
in the 1950s
by
advocating
the
independence
of European
colonies in
Africa and
Asia.
India is a
founding
member of
the
Non-Aligned
Movement.
After the
Sino-Indian
War and the
Indo-Pakistani
War of 1965,
India's
relationship
with the
Soviet Union
warmed at
the expense
of ties with
the United
States and
continued to
remain so
until the
end of the
Cold War.
India has
fought four
wars with
Pakistan,
primarily
over
Kashmir.
India also
fought and
won an
additional
war with
Pakistan for
the
liberation
of
Bangladesh
in 1971.
In recent years, India
has played an
influential role in the
ASEAN, SAARC, and the
WTO.
India is a founding
member and long time
supporter of the United
Nations, with over
55,000 Indian military
and police personnel
having served in
thirty-five UN peace
keeping operations
deployed across four
continents. Despite
criticism and military
sanctions, India has
consistently refused to
sign the CTBT and the
NPT, preferring instead
to maintain sovereignty
over its nuclear
program.
The
Sukhoi-30
MKI is part
of the
Indian Air
Force.
Recent
overtures by the Indian
government have
strengthened relations
with the United States,
China, and Pakistan. In
the economic sphere,
India has close
relationships with other
developing nations in
South America, Asia, and
Africa.
India maintains the
third largest military
force in the world by
number of active troops,
which consists of the
Indian Army, Navy, and
Air Force. Auxiliary
forces such as the
Paramilitary Forces, the
Coast Guard, and the
Strategic Forces Command
also come under the
military's purview. The
President of India is
the supreme commander of
the Indian armed forces.
India became a nuclear
power in 1974 after
conducting an initial
nuclear test, Operation
Smiling Buddha. Further
underground testing in
1998 led to
international military
sanctions against India,
which were gradually
withdrawn after
September 2001. India
maintains a "no first
use" nuclear policy
and has a "strong
nuclear
non-proliferation
record" according to the
White House, despite
not being a signatory to
the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
Subdivisions
India is a federal
republic of twenty-eight
states and seven Union
Territories. All
states, the union
territory of Puducherry,
and the National Capital
Territory of Delhi have
elected governments. The
other five union
territories have
centrally appointed
administrators and hence
are under direct rule of
the President. In 1956,
under the States
Reorganisation Act,
states were formed on a
linguistic basis.
Since then, this
structure has remained
largely unchanged. Each
state or union territory
is divided into basic
units of government and
administration called
districts. There are
nearly 600 districts in
India. The districts
in turn are further
divided into tehsils and
eventually into
villages.
Administrative
divisions
of
India,
including
28
states
and
7
union
territories.
STATES
Union Territories
Andhra
Pradesh
Arunachal
Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal
Pradesh
Jammu and
Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya
Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar
Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Andaman and
Nicobar
Islands
Chandigarh
Dadra and
Nagar Haveli
Daman and
Diu
Lakshadweep
National
Capital
Territory of
Delhi
Puducherry
Geography
India, the
major
portion of
the Indian
subcontinent,
sits atop
the Indian
tectonic
plate, a
minor plate
within the
Indo-Australian
Plate.
India's
defining
geological
processes
commenced
seventy-five
million
years ago,
when the
Indian
subcontinent,
then part of
the southern
supercontinent
Gondwana,
began a
northeastwards
drift—lasting
fifty
million
years—across
the then
unformed
Indian
Ocean.
The
subcontinent's
subsequent
collision
with the
Eurasian
Plate and subduction
under it,
gave rise to
the
Himalayas,
the planet's
highest
mountains,
which now
abut India
in the north
and the
north-east.
In the former seabed
immediately south of the
emerging Himalayas,
plate movement created a
vast through, which,
having gradually been
filled with river-borne
sediment, now forms
the Indo-Gangetic
Plain. To the west
of this plain, and cut
off from it by the Aravalli Range, lies the
Thar Desert.
Topographic
map of
India.
The
original Indian plate
now survives as
peninsular India, the
oldest and geologically
most stable part of
India, and extending as
far north as the Satpura
and Vindhya ranges in
central India. These
parallel ranges run from
the Arabian Sea coast in
Gujarat in the west to
the coal-rich Chota
Nagpur Plateau in
Jharkhand in the
east. To their
south, the remaining
peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is
flanked on the left and
right by the coastal
ranges, Western Ghats
and Eastern Ghats
respectively; the
plateau contains the
oldest rock formations
in India, some over one
billion years old.
Constituted in such
fashion, India lies to
the north of the equator
between 6°44' and 35°30'
north latitude and
68°7' and 97°25' east
longitude.
India's coast is 7,517
kilometers (4,671 mi)
long; of this distance,
5,423 kilometers (3,370
mi) belong to peninsular
India, and 2,094
kilometers (1,301 mi) to
the Andaman, Nicobar,
and Lakshadweep
Islands. According
to the Indian naval
hydrographic charts, the
mainland coast consists
of the following: 43%
sandy beaches, 11% rocky
coast including cliffs,
and 46% mudflats or
marshy coast.
Major Himalayan-origin
rivers that
substantially flow
through India include
the Ganges and the
Brahmaputra, both of
which drain into the Bay
of Bengal. Important
tributaries of the
Ganges include the Yamuna and the Kosi,
whose extremely low
gradient causes
disastrous floods every
year. Major peninsular
rivers whose steeper
gradients prevent their
waters from flooding
include the Godavari,
the Mahanadi, the Kaveri,
and the Krishna, which
also drain into the Bay
of Bengal; and the Narmada and the Tapi,
which drain into the
Arabian Sea. Among
notable coastal features
of India are the marshy Rann of Kutch in western
India, and the alluvial
Sundarbans delta, which
India shares with
Bangladesh. India
has two archipelagos:
the Lakshadweep, coral
atolls off India's
south-western coast; and
the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, a volcanic
chain in the Andaman
Sea.
India's climate is
strongly influenced by
the Himalayas and the
Thar Desert, both of
which drive the
monsoons. The
Himalayas prevent cold
Central Asian katabatic
winds from blowing in,
keeping the bulk of the
Indian subcontinent
warmer than most
locations at similar
latitudes. The Thar
Desert plays a crucial
role in attracting the
moisture-laden southwest
summer monsoon winds
that, between June and
October, provide the
majority of India's
rainfall. Four major
climatic groupings
predominate in India:
tropical wet, tropical
dry, subtropical humid,
and montane
Flora and fauna
The red panda is found in the Himalayan foothills, which extend through Northeast India
India, which
lies within
the
Indomalaya
ecozone,
displays
significant
biodiversity.
Being one of
seventeen
megadiverse
countries,
it is home
to 7.6% of
all
mammalian,
12.6% of all
avian, 6.2%
of all
reptilian,
4.4% of all
amphibian,
11.7% of all
fish, and
6.0% of all
flowering
plant
species. Many
ecoregions,
such as the
shola
forests,
exhibit
extremely
high rates
of endemism;
overall, 33%
of Indian
plant
species are
endemic. India's
forest cover
ranges from
the tropical
rainforest
of the
Andaman
Islands,
Western
Ghats, and
North-East
India to the
coniferous
forest of
the
Himalaya.
Between
these
extremes lie
the sal-dominated
moist
deciduous
forest of
eastern
India; the
teak-dominated
dry
deciduous
forest of
central and
southern
India; and
the
babul-dominated
thorn forest
of the
central
Deccan and
western
Gangetic
plain.
Important
Indian trees include the
medicinal neem, widely
used in rural Indian
herbal remedies. The
pipal fig tree, shown on
the seals of
Mohenjo-daro, shaded
Gautama Buddha as he
sought enlightenment.
Many Indian species are
descendants of taxa
originating in Gondwana,
to which India
originally belonged.
Peninsular India's
subsequent movement
towards, and collision
with, the Laurasian
landmass set off a mass
exchange of species.
However, volcanism and
climatic changes 20
million years ago caused
the extinction of many
endemic Indian
forms. Soon
thereafter, mammals
entered India from Asia
through two
zoogeographical passes
on either side of the
emerging Himalaya.
Consequently, among
Indian species, only
12.6% of mammals and
4.5% of birds are
endemic, contrasting
with 45.8% of reptiles
and 55.8% of
amphibians. Notable
endemics are the Nilgiri
leaf monkey and the
brown and carmine
Beddome's toad of the
Western Ghats. India
contains 172, or 2.9%,
of IUCN-designated
threatened species.
These include the
Asiatic Lion, the Bengal
Tiger, and the Indian
white-rumped vulture,
which suffered a
near-extinction from
ingesting the carrion of
diclofenac-treated
cattle.
In recent decades, human
encroachment has posed a
threat to India's
wildlife; in response,
the system of national
parks and protected
areas, first established
in 1935, was
substantially expanded.
In 1972, India enacted
the Wildlife Protection
Act and Project
Tiger to safeguard
crucial habitat; in
addition, the Forest
Conservation Act was
enacted in 1980. Along
with more than five
hundred wildlife
sanctuaries, India hosts
thirteen biosphere
reserves, four of
which are part of the
World Network of
Biosphere Reserves;
twenty-five wetlands are
registered under the Ramsar Convention.
Economy
The
Bombay
Stock
Exchange,
in
Mumbai,
is
Asia's
oldest
and
India's
largest
stock
exchange.
For most of its
post-independence
history, India
adhered to a
quasi-socialist
approach with
strict
government
control over
private sector
participation,
foreign trade,
and foreign
direct
investment.
However, since
1991, India has
gradually opened
up its markets
through economic
reforms and
reduced
government
controls on
foreign trade
and investment.
Foreign exchange
reserves have
risen from
US$5.8 billion
in March 1991 to
US$300 billion
in March,
2008, while
federal and
state budget
deficits have
decreased.
Privatization of
publicly-owned
companies and
the opening of
certain sectors
to private and
foreign
participation
has continued
amid political
debate. With
a GDP growth
rate of 9.4% in
2006-07, the
economy is among
the fastest
growing in the
world. India's
GDP in terms of USD
exchange-rate is
US$1.089
Trillion . When
measured in
terms of
purchasing power
parity (PPP),
India has the
world's third
largest GDP at
US$4.726
trillion.
India's per
capita income
(nominal) is US$
1004 , while its
per capita (PPP)
is US$ 4182.
India has the
world's second
largest labour
force, with
516.3 million
people, 60% of
whom are
employed in
agriculture and
related
industries; 28%
in services and
related
industries; and
12% in industry.
Major agricultural crops
include rice, wheat,
oilseed, cotton, jute,
tea, sugarcane, and
potatoes. The
agricultural sector
accounts for 28% of GDP;
the service and
industrial sectors make
up 54% and 18%
respectively. Major
industries include
automobiles, cement,
chemicals, consumer
electronics, food
processing, machinery,
mining, petroleum,
pharmaceuticals, steel,
transportation
equipment, and textiles.
Although the Indian
economy has grown
steadily over the last
two decades; its growth
has been uneven when
comparing different
social groups, economic
groups, geographic
regions, and rural and
urban areas. Income
inequality in India is
relatively small (Gini
coefficient: 32.5 in
year 1999–2000), though it has
been increasing of late.
Wealth distribution in
India is fairly uneven,
with the top 10% of
income groups earning
33% of the income.
Despite significant
economic progress, a
quarter of the nation's
population earns less
than the
government-specified
poverty threshold of
$0.40 per day. In
2004–2005, 27.5% of the
population was living
below the poverty line.
More recently, India has
capitalised on its large
pool of educated,
English-speaking people,
and trained
professionals to become
an important outsourcing
destination for
multinational
corporations and a
popular destination for
medical tourism. India
has also become a major
exporter of software as
well as financial,
research, and
technological services.
Its natural resources
include arable land,
bauxite, chromite, coal,
diamonds, iron ore,
limestone, manganese,
mica, natural gas,
petroleum, and titanium
ore.
In 2007, estimated
exports stood at US$140
billion and imports were
around US$224.9 billion.
Textiles, jewellery,
engineering goods and
software are major
export commodities.
While crude oil,
machineries,
fertilizers, and
chemicals are major
imports. India's most
important trading
partners are the United
States, the European
Union, and China.
Demographics
Population
density
map
of
India.
Population
density map of
India. With an
estimated
population of
1.12 billion,
India is the
world's second
most populous
country. Almost
70% of Indians
reside in rural
areas, although
in recent
decades
migration to
larger cities
has led to a
dramatic
increase in the
country's urban
population.
India's largest
cities are
Mumbai (formerly
Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata
(formerly
Calcutta),
Chennai
(formerly
Madras),
Bengaluru
(formerly
Bangalore),
Hyderabad and
Ahmadabad.
India is the
second most
culturally,
linguistically
and genetically
diverse
geographical
entity after the
African
continent.
India is home to
two major
linguistic
families:
Indo-Aryan
(spoken by about
74% of the
population) and
Dravidian
(spoken by about
24%). Other languages spoken
in India come
from the
Austro-Asiatic
and
Tibeto-Burman
linguistic
families. Hindi,
with the largest
number of
speakers, is
the official
language of
India. English,
which is
extensively used
in business and
administration,
has the status
of a 'subsidiary
official language.The
constitution
also recognises
in particular 21
other languages
that are either
abundantly
spoken or have
classical
status.
The number of
dialects in India is as
high as 1,652.Over 800
million Indians (80.5%)
are Hindu. Other
religious groups include
Muslims (13.4%),
Christians (2.3%), Sikhs
(1.9%), Buddhists
(0.8%), Jains (0.4%),
Jews, Zoroastrians,
Bahá'ís and others. Tribals constitute 8.1%
of the population.
India's literacy rate is
64.8% (53.7% for females
and 75.3% for males). The state of Kerala has
the highest literacy
rate (91%); Bihar
has the lowest (47%).
The national human sex
ratio is 944 females per
1,000 males. India's
median age is 24.9, and
the population growth
rate of 1.38% per annum;
there are 22.01 births
per 1,000 people per
year.
Culture
India's
culture is
marked by a
high degree
of
syncretism
and cultural
pluralism.
It has
managed to
preserve
established
traditions
while
absorbing
new customs,
traditions,
and ideas
from
invaders and
immigrants.
Multicultural
concerns
have long
informed
India's
history and
traditions,
constitution
and
political
arrangements.
Indian
architecture
is one area
that
represents
the
diversity of
Indian
culture.Much
of it,
including
notable
monuments
such as the
Taj Mahal
and other
examples of
Mughal
architecture
and South
Indian
architecture,
comprises a
blend of
ancient and
varied local
traditions
from several
parts of the
country and
abroad.
Vernacular
architecture
also
displays
notable
regional
variation.
Indian music
covers a
wide range
of
traditions
and regional
styles.
Classical
music is split mainly
between the North Indian
Hindustani and South
Indian Carnatic
traditions. Highly
regionalised forms of
popular music include
filmi and folk music;
the syncretic tradition
of the bauls is a
well-known form of the
latter.
The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by Shah Jahan as memorial to wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".
Indian dance too has
diverse folk and
classical forms. Among
the well-known folk
dances are the bhangra
of the Punjab, the bihu
of Assam, the chhau of
Bihar and Orissa and the
ghoomar of Rajasthan.
Eight dance forms, many
with narrative forms and
mythological elements,
have been accorded
classical dance status
by India's National
Academy of Music, Dance,
and Drama. These are:
bharatanatyam of the
state of Tamil Nadu,
kathak of Uttar Pradesh,
kathakali and
mohiniyattam of Kerala,
kuchipudi of Andhra
Pradesh, manipuri of
Manipur, odissi of the
state of Orissa and the
sattriya of Assam.
Theatre in
India often
incorporates
music,
dance, and
improvised
or written
dialogue.
Often based
on Hindu
mythology,
but also
borrowing
from
medieval
romances,
and news of
social and
political
events,
Indian
theatre
includes the
bhavai of
state of
Gujarat, the
jatra of
West Bengal,
the nautanki
and ramlila
of North
India, the
tamasha of
Maharashtra,
the
terukkuttu
of Tamil
Nadu, and
the
yakshagana
of Karnataka
The
Mahabodhi
Temple, a
UNESCO World
Heritage
Site, at
Bodhgaya in
Bihar, is
one of the
four holy
sites
related to
the life of
the Lord
Buddha, and
particularly
to the
attainment
of
Enlightenment.
The first
temple was
built by
Emperor
Asoka in the
3rd century
BC, and the
present
temple dates
from the 5th
century BC
or 6th
centuries.
It is one of
the earliest
Buddhist
temples
built
entirely in
brick, still
standing in
India, from
the late
Gupta
period. The
Indian film
industry is
the largest
in the
world.
Bollywood,
based in
Mumbai,
makes
commercial
Hindi films
and is the
most
prolific
film
industry in
the world.
Established
traditions
also exist
in Bengali,
Kannada,
Malayalam,
Marathi,
Tamil, and
Telugu
language
cinemas.
The earliest
works of
Indian
literature
were
transmitted
orally and
only later
written
down. These
included
works of
Sanskrit
literature –
such as the
early Vedas,
the epics
Mahabharata
and
Ramayana,
the drama
Abhijnanasakuntalam
(The
Recognition
of sakuntala),
and poetry
such as the
Mahakavya –
and the
Tamil
language
Sangam
literature.
Among Indian
writers of
the modern
era active
in Indian
languages or
English,
Rabindranath
Tagore won
the Nobel
Prize in
1913.
Indian
cuisine is
characterized
by a wide
variety of
regional
styles and
sophisticated
use of herbs
and spices.
The staple
foods in the
region are
rice
(especially
in the south
and the
east) and
wheat
(predominantly
in the
north).
Spices originally native
to the Indian
subcontinent that are
now consumed world wide
include black pepper; in
contrast, hot chili
peppers, popular across
India, were introduced
by the Portuguese.
Traditional Indian dress
varies across the
regions in its colours
and styles and depends
on various factors,
including climate.
Popular styles of dress
include draped garments
such as sari for women
and dhoti or lungi for
men; in addition,
stitched clothes such as
salwar kameez for women
and kurta-pyjama and
European-style trousers
and shirts for men, are
also popular.
Many
Indian festivals
are religious in origin,
although several are
celebrated irrespective
of caste and creed. Some
popular festivals are
Diwali, Thai Pongal,
Holi, Onam,
Vijayadashami, Durga
Puja, Eid ul-Fitr, Bakr-Id,
Christmas, Buddha
Jayanti and Vaisakhi.
India has three national
holidays. Other sets of
holidays, varying
between nine and twelve,
are officially observed
in individual states.
Religious practices are
an integral part of
everyday life and are a
very public affair.
Traditional Indian
family values are highly
respected, although
urban families now
prefer nuclear family
system due to the
socio-economic
constraints imposed by
traditional joint family
system.
The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at Bodhgaya in Bihar, is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century BC, and the present temple dates from the 5th century BC or 6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India, from the late Gupta period.
Sports
India's national sport
is field hockey although
cricket is the most
popular sport in India.
In some states,
particularly those in
the northeast and the
states of West Bengal,
Goa, and Kerala,
football (soccer) is
also a popular
sport. In recent
times, tennis has also
gained popularity.
Chess, commonly held to
have originated in
India, is also gaining
popularity with the rise
in the number of Indian
grandmasters.
Traditional sports
include kabaddi, kho kho,
and gilli-danda, which
are played nationwide.
India is home to the
age-old disciplines of
yoga and ayurveda and to
the ancient martial
arts, Kalarippayattu and
Varma Kalai.
National
Symbols of India
