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| Indian
Customs |
A number of faiths and religions
have merged in India and exist simultaneously.
India is a country with “Unity in Diversity”.
This diverseness in culture makes India a
unique country in the world with a lot of
different customs and traditions. Traditions
and rituals in India have become an integral
part of everyday life. Customs of India are
a major attraction for the tourists coming
here.
Right from birth to death, an Indian keeps
on performing various customs and traditions.
Almost every occasion in India (birth, engagement,
marriage, death and so on) has a ceremony
attached to it. Following are some of the
Indian customs:
Birth Ceremony
Soon after the birth of a child, a ceremony
for naming the child takes place. A priest
tells the first alphabet from which the name
of the child should start.
Traditional Welcome
Indians believe in the phrase “Atithi
Devo Bhava”, meaning a guest is the
reflection of God. In the traditional welcome,
the guest is garlanded and a tikka (vermillion)
is put on his/her forehead. Even the Tourism
Ministry of India has launched the 'Atithi
Devo Bhava' campaign to make people aware
of India's rich culture and traditions.
Wedding Ceremony
Weddings are conducted in India with great
fanfare, following various customs and rituals.
The wedding is not a single day affair in
India; rather, the functions carry on for
3 - 4 or even more days.
Namaskar/Namaste
The most popular form of greeting, especially
the elders, is to say Namaste with the hands
joined at the chest level. It is also used
at the time of farewell.
Lighting Lamp/Diya
In almost every Indian household, a lamp/diya
is lighted before the altar of God in the
morning. Some people light the lamp in evening
also.
Prostrating Before Parents and Elders
Indians prostrate before their parents, elders
and teachers by touching their feet. The elders
in turn place their hand on prostrating person’s
head and bless him/her.
Death Ceremony
After a person passes away, the cremation
is done according to certain rituals. The
rituals continue a few days after the death.
In the above lines, we have mentioned only
some of the customs and traditions of India.
Other important occasions when different customs
and rituals are followed are the Indian festivals.
Come and visit India to know more about the
other fascinating aspects of Indian customs
and rituals.
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| Indian
Religion |
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India
is a land of diversity, even in religion. All
the religions in India exist simultaneously
and peacefully. Religion is an integral part
of Indian customs and traditions. The oldest
Indian religion to develop was Hinduism. Later
on other religions developed. Apart from Hinduism,
India is also the birthplace of another great
religion, Buddhism. Also, Zoroastrianism and
Jainism owe their birth to India itself. Sikhism
is another very recognizable religion that began
here. People following the religions that originated
in other countries such as Islam, Christianity,
Bahaism and Judaism also form a part of the
Indian population.
At present, the dominant faith in India is Hinduism.
The 2001 Census revealed the following facts
about the percentage of various religions in
India:
Hinduism
About 80.5% of the population of India practice
Hinduism. It is one of the ancient religions
in the world.
Islam
After Hindus, Muslims hold the second dominant
position in India. The proportion of Muslims
in this country is 13.4% Muslims (over 100 million)
Christianity
Out of the total population of India, Christians
constitute almost 2.3% (over 20 million).
Sikhism
About 1.9% (18 million) of India’s population
consists of Sikhs.
Other Indian Religions
Rest of the population (less than 2%) includes
Buddhists (6 million), Jains, Parsis (Zoroastrians),
Jews and Bahais.
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| People
of India |
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Indian
people are taught from their child hood to respect
their elders. They are also very much attached
to their family, not only their immediate family,
but, all the near and dear ones. People of India
are very hospitable. They welcome guests with
an open heart. The phrase “Atithi Devo
Bhava” is ingrained in them. So, the maximum
chances are that you will have a very enjoyable
time with the Indian people. Read on to know
more about Indians:
India is probably the only country with the
most diverse mix of races. People belonging
to different religions, communities, casts and
beliefs live in India, peacefully and in harmony.
India is an amalgamation of the five major racial
types. The five racial types, finding representation
in India are:
• Australoid
• Mongoloid
• Europoid
• Caucasian
• Negroid
To find the exact origin of the Indian People
is a task next to impossible. A number of ethnic
groups exist among the people of India. The
6 main ethnic groups are as follows.
• Negrito
• Proto
• Australoids or Austrics
• Mongoloids
• Mediterranean or Dravidian
• Western Brachycephals
• Nordic Aryans
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