India by Smirti and Visvesh

India

Culture of India

• Few countries in the world have such an ancient and diverse culture as India's.

• Its physical, religious and racial variety is as big as its language diversity.

Indian Langauges

• There are fifteen national languages recognized by the Indian constitution and these are spoken in over 1600 dialects.

• Most of the Indian languages have their own script and are spoken in the respective states along with English.

• Hindi and English is the most popular language

Indian Foods

Indian food• The food available in India is as diverse as its culture • Besides spices, the other main ingredients of Indian

cooking and Indian meals are milk products like ghee (used as a cooking medium) and curd or dahi (Yoghurt).

• the two cultures that have influenced Indian cooking and food habits are the Hindu and the Muslim traditions.

• The Hindu vegetarian tradition is widespread in India, although many Hindus eat meat now.

• The Muslim tradition is most evident in the cooking of meats. kababs, rich Kormas (curries), the biryani (a layered rice and meat preparation), tandoori chicken are all important contributions made by the Muslim settlers in India.

Indian food

• The Hindu vegetarian tradition is widespread in India, although many Hindus eat meat now.

• The Muslim tradition is most evident in the cooking of meats. kababs, rich Kormas (curries), the biryani (a layered rice and meat preparation), tandoori chicken are all important contributions made by the Muslim settlers in India.

Indian food• A typical North-Indian meal would consist of chapatis or

rotis or parathas ,rice and dals, fried vegetables, curries, curd (Yoghurt), chutney, and pickles. For dessert it is rasagulla, gulab-jamuns, Kheer a form of rice pudding.

• South Indian food is largely consisting of rice. It is usually served with sambhar, rasam (a thin soup), dry and curried vegetables and a curd preparation called pachadi. Coconut is an important ingredient in all South Indian food. The South Indian dosa (rice pancakes), idli (steamed rice cakes) and vada, which is made of fermented rice and dal, are now popular throughout the country. The popular dishes from Kerala are appams (a rice pancake) and thick stews. Desserts from the south include the Mysore pak and the creamy payasum

Indian costumes

• One of the powerful attractions in India is the colorful and diversified dressing of its people.

• The sari must be the most used garment in existence. It is only one of the many traditional garments worn by women, yet it has somehow become the national dress of Indian women.

• Another popular attire of women in India is the salwar-kameez.

Indian costume

• Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional costumes, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing.

• Shirts and trousers are worn by men from all regions in India.

• However, men in villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas.

Indian Festivals

• Indians love celebrating. Every little occasion from the harvesting of crops, welcoming the spring or rain, to seeing the full moon lends itself to joyous celebrations splashed with colors, music, folk dances and songs.

• The Indian calendar is one long procession of festivals. These are as varied in origin as they are large in number. India is a multilingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural nation.

• Some of the most popular festivals in India are Diwali, Ganesh Chathurti, Holi, Dusserra, Onam, The birth of Krishna, Bakri-ID, Ramzan, Christmas.

Rangoli

• Rangoli are decorative designs made on living room and courtyard floors during Hindu festivals typically consisting of bright colors.

• The patterns are typically created with materials including colored rice, dry flour, (colored) sand or even flower petals.

• The purpose of Rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. It is traditionally done by women. Generally, this practice is showcased during occasions such as festivals, celebrations of marriages and other gatherings.

Taj Mahal

• The Taj Mahal is a white marble masterpiece located in Agra , India near to Delhi.It was build by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife,Mumtaz Mahal.

• TheTaj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

• Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.