The Culture of India

A vast pantheon of gods, holy books and scriptures, mantras and mystic rhythms will be an integral part of almost any Indian destination – whether it is the temples of the South, the shrines of Rajasthan, the many old Islamic forts and palaces, or the churches of Goa. With over 1600 minor languages and dialects, India is much like the tower of Babel, and as confusing at times!

Culturally, India is a rich and vivid tapestry. It is the fountainhead of many world religions, and you’ll come across all of them in good measure. People from diverse religions – Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain – make up the whole that is India and each community lends its special brand of culture to the country. India will hit you with its sheer size, its cornucopia of cultural fiestas, its flamboyant festivals and the bluster of its marketplaces.

Indian literature is rich and varied both in terms of prose and poetry in its regional languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and others as well as in English. India has given rise to writers of the stature of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Booker Prize winners Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai.

Indian art is as full of sensual overload as anything else, and as diverse. It is easier to appreciate if you have a working knowledge of the country's faiths. The many forms of classical Indian dance, Hindu temple architecture and sculpture, Mughal architectural wonders (including the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort), miniature painting, and classical Indian music are the cultural highlights.

Indian music is highly diversified. Classical music is mainly split between the North Indian Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic traditions. Highly regionalized forms of popular music include filmi and folk music like bhangra. Many classical dance forms exist, including bharatnatyam, kathakali, kathak, kuchipudi, manipuri, odissi and yakshagana. They often have a narrative form and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.

Cinema is popular here and the Bombay film industry is second only to Hollywood in size. A large majority of the films are three-hour musical sagas big on romance and violence. They are far from true representations of Indian life, but accurate descriptions of the great Indian dream.

Cricket is the most popular sport in India and matches spark an almost religious fervour among the people. Hockey is the national sport.