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CULTURE & HERITAGE
It’s not only difficult to defineIndian cultureand heritage within a few lines or paragraphs or even a page but it is quite impossible also. India or Bharat is fifth largest & second populated country in the world. India is a land of diverse cultures. Culture is a term that defines the growth and development of a human being by the influence of the social and political situation. The variations in physical, climatic conditions and the extent of exposure to other cultures have greatly influenced the traditions and culture of the different regions. Theculture of Indiarefers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life inIndian people & it is differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures is spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.
As the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC,and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago.Several elements of India's diverse culture, such as Indian religions, yoga, andIndian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world. India is the birth place ofHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, collectively known as Indian religions. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third and fourth-largest religions. Sikhism, Jainism and especially Buddhism are influential not only in India but across the world. Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and the Bahá'í Faithare also influential but their numbers are smaller.
Although there have been a lot of attacks on the Indian soil by the foreigners like Alexander, Britishers and Muslim rulers but still India remained as the one nation. India is one of oldest cultural heritages is because of the Taj Mahal in Agra which is a unique cultural part of Indian Muslim ruling history.
The uniqueness of Indian culture lies in its strong social system and family values. The elders are considered the driving force and so are respected and loved. The guests are considered as gods and are treated with respect and love, even if by foregoing some of the personal pleasures. Indians are always ready to help one another in times of need. The philosophy of distributing joy and sharing sorrows is also an important part of Indian culture. Such unity in diversity can be seen here which teaches tolerance and respect for others.
India has always welcomed change, without letting that change effect our glorious past. India is like archives, which has so much within itself that many future generations can learn from it. With every invasion, India became more strong and beautiful. The best feature about India is that, it has been invaded so many times, and yet it stands as one, without falling weak at its roots and that is what makes Indian culture and heritage rich and beautiful. |
