Today, we will talk about India, a country in the continent of Asia, specifically (South Asia). We will learn some information about it and some traditions and customs in clothing, utensils, and of course we will get to know the members of Global Peace Let’s Talk based on India, so, let’s go.
The location
The country is located in South Asia
It considered
Most of India’s territory forms a peninsula, meaning it is surrounded by water on three sides. The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, rises in the north. It is the seventh largest country by area It is the most populous country from June 2023 onward
What surrounds India
From the south
(Indian Ocean – Arabian Sea from the southwest)
From the north
(China – Nepal – Bhutan)
From the east
(Bay of Bengal from the southeast – Bangladesh – Myanmar)
From the west
(Shares a land border with Pakistan)
It is located near
Sri Lanka and the Maldives
The demographic composition of the Indian people
1- The ethnic groups
Gaya, Bihar, India: Falgu River India is a multi-ethnic and diverse country, home to thousands of small ethnic and tribal groups. This complexity has evolved from a long and complex process of migration and intermarriage.
2- The indigenous (“tribal”) peoples
of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (northeastern Indian peninsula) have affinities with groups such as the Mons, who have long settled in Southeast Asia. There are much smaller southern groups, who appear to descend, at least in part, from peoples of East African origin some of whom settled in historical times on the west coast of India) or from a population usually called Negrito, which is now represented by a large number of small peoples widely scattered from the Andaman Islands, the Philippines, New Guinea and other areas.
3- The people of north-central and north-western India
have ethnic affinities with European and Indo-European peoples from southern Europe, the Caucasus, southwest and central Asia In northeastern India, West Bengal (to a lesser extent), the upper regions of the western Himalayas, and Ladakh, many of the populations resemble peoples to the north and east—particularly the Tibetans and Burmese.
As the culture elements, Look like;
The clothing
The clothing in India varies with the ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Historically, clothing has evolved from simple garments such as kaupina, langutta, achkan, lungi and sari, to ritual and dance performances. In urban areas, Western clothing is common and is worn uniformly by people of all social classes.
India also has a great diversity in terms of fabric, fibre, colour and material of clothing. Sometimes, color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and rituals involved. Clothing in India also includes a wide range of Indian embroidery, prints, handicrafts, motifs and dressing styles. A wide mix of traditional Indian clothing and Western styles can be seen in India
Most spoken language
Hindi, one of the official languages of India, is the most spoken language in the country, spoken by 52.83 crore people. In other words, 43.63% of the total population speaks Hindi. Bengali and Marathi come in second and third place respectively.
The official religion in the country
There is no official religion and India is secular. However, India is saturated with religion A 2001 World Values Survey found that 80% of Indians consider themselves to be “religious people”, with 88% stating that they “meditate or pray”, and 93% “belonging to a religious denomination”.
The largest religious group in India is
Hindus, who make up 80.5% of the population, although this figure may be inflated due to the societal advantages of identifying as Hindu. The next largest religious groups are Muslims (13.4%), Christians (2.3%), and Sikhs (1.9%). Buddhists, Jains, Parsis (Zoroastrians), Baha’is, and Jews make up less than 1.1% of the population. Of the Muslims, about 85% are Sunni and 15% are Shia, making India the second largest Muslim population within its borders in the world.
The National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992 classified five religious communities as minorities: Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, and Buddhists.
The Architectural
The Types of Indian Architectural Styles
Rock-cut architecture. Visaara architecture. Sikh architecture. Kalinga architecture. Dravidian architecture. Indo-Saracenic renaissance architecture. Mughal architecture.
The Art in India
Most Popular Traditional Art Forms in India
Folk and Tribal Art. Folk and tribal art and folk paintings are practiced and taught in India even today. … Rajputi Painting. … Warli Painting. … Madhubani Art. … Mysore Painting. … Miniature Paintings
The most celebration days in India
Pongal, Tamil Nadu
The harvest festival of Pongal is celebrated across Tamil Nadu over four days in mid-January. It begins with Bhogi, when houses get a thorough cleaning, and rangolis (patterns made with coloured powders) are drawn in the courtyard. The next day is Surya Pongal, the first day of the Tamil calendar when the traditional dish of Pongal is made; newly harvested rice is cooked with milk and jaggery (raw cane sugar) and offered to the Sun God. The last two days of the festival — Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal — feature more rituals and social events.
Mahashivratri, north India
The Hindu festival of Mahashivratri celebrates Lord Shiva’s wedding to Parvati and is observed on the new moon night of Phalgun. Devotees fast through the day before visiting Shiva temples just before midnight. The Shivalinga (idol) is bathed with milk, yoghurt, and honey and the night rings out with bhajans (devotional songs). The Bhootnath Temple in Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) hosts a week-long Mahashivratri fair and is one of the best places to experience the festival, as are Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) and Guwahati (Assam).
Holi, north and west India
India’s most colourful festival, Holi, takes place on the full moon day of Phalgun and is associated with the devotional love of Lord Krishna and Radha. Streets come alive with people applying gulal (coloured powders) and drenching each other with water balloons and pichkaris (water guns). The festival is enjoyed with gusto across the country but especially in north India; for the most immersive experiences head to Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, where Lord Krishna was born and spent his childhood.
Eid-Ul-Fitr, across India
Eid-Ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Festivities begin with the sighting of the moon followed by a large meal. Prayers are held on the first morning of Eid when people thank Allah for giving them the will and strength to fast during Ramadan. Zakat Al Fitr or charity to the poor is also an important part of the festival. Traditional Eid delicacies include sheer khurma (vermicelli noodles with milk and dried fruit) and seviyaan (a sweet milky pudding with dates).
Bihu, Assam
Rongali Bihu is Assam’s most important festival; it celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and marks the Assamese New Year. Held over seven days, it is a festival of happiness and involves plenty of merrymaking where people dress up in their best traditional attire and get together for Bihu naach (traditional dancing) to folk songs. Families and friends meet over festive meals of masor tenga (sour fish curry), assorted pitha (sweets made from rice flour) and apong (traditional rice beer).
Onam, Kerala
Kerala’s most popular festival, Onam, sweeps across the state without distinction of religion or caste. This ten-day harvest festival is dedicated to King Mahabali, the ancient ruler of Kerala whose spirit is said to visit his kingdom on Onam. It’s marked by spectacular processions called Athachamayam with traditional music, floats, and bejewelled elephants. Snake boat races on rivers and lakes across Kerala are quite popular. Don’t miss trying the Onasadya, an elaborate feast of traditional vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf.
Janmashtami, Mumbai and Pune
Janmashtami (also known as Gokulashtami) commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna. Since he is said to be born at midnight, devotees stay awake all night, offer prayers and sing bhajans (devotional songs). Mathura, Krishna’s birthplace, comes alive with Ras Leela or dramatic enactments from his life. The next day is Dahi Handi, when people form towering human pyramids to try and break a pot of yoghurt, Lord Krishna’s favourite food. Mumbai and Pune are the best places to experience these raucous revelries.
Ganesh Chaturthi, Maharashtra
The ten-day festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is devoted to the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha, one of the most beloved gods in the Hindu pantheon. Mumbai, with its elaborate pandals (marquees) and beautifully decorated idols, is the best place to experience the festival: Lalbaugcha Raja, GSB Seva Mandal Ganpati and Andhericha Raja are the best examples. On the tenth day of the festival, massive processions are taken out for immersion of the idols in the sea, accompanied by beating drums, loud music and people dancing in the streets.
Navratri & Dussehra, north and west India
The Indian festival of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is held over nine days with different rituals across India. In Gujarat, revellers bedecked in colourful traditional attire perform dances of garba and dandiya over nine nights. In many parts of the country, people put up theatrical enactments of the Ramayana. The tenth day, Dussehra, marks the triumph of good over evil when Lord Rama defeated the ten-headed demon king Ravana, with devotees burning huge effigies of Ravana on this day.
Durga Puja, West Bengal
While Durga Puja takes different forms across the country, the grandest festivities take place in West Bengal. Calcutta is dotted with extravagant themed pandals with huge idols of the Goddess Durga. Deshpriya Park, Ballygunge Cultural Association, and Kumartuli Park are some of the must-visit pandals — don’t miss the mouthwatering street food outside. Apart from religious rituals, many pandals organise cultural programmes of music, dance, and drama. The city’s markets are also thronged with people shopping for new clothes, handicrafts and sweetmeats.
Diwali, across India
Diwali is arguably the biggest festival in India and is known as the homecoming of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile. The five days of the festival mark different legends such as Lord Krishna killing the demon Narakasur and the Goddess Lakshmi’s birthday. The festival of lights is celebrated by wearing new clothes, meeting family and friends, burning crackers, and lighting lanterns and diyas (earthen lamps). No festival is complete without special food and, depending on the region, Diwali feasting includes a variety of sweets and savouries.
Pushkar Camel Fair, Rajasthan
The Pushkar Camel Fair is an epic spectacle where thousands of camels (and people) descend upon a small desert town in Rajasthan. What started off as a way to attract camel, horse, and cattle traders during the holy Kartik Purnima festival has now become a major tourist attraction. Expect elaborately adorned camels participating in races, an arts and crafts bazaar, and even moustache competitions. The fair culminates with a maha aarti (ritual fire offering) on the banks of Pushkar Lake.
Guru Nanak Jayanti, Punjab
Guru Nanak Jayanti or Guru Nanak Gurpurab marks the birth of the first Sikh Guru and is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism. Gurdwaras are decorated across Punjab and many of them hold akhand path (continuous reading) from the Sikh holy book of Guru Granth Sahib. Devotees take out processions or palki with the holy book while singing devotional songs. Young Sikhs also perform gatka, a form of martial arts with wooden sticks.
Christmas, across India
Christmas is an important festival in India — a secular celebration not restricted to the Christian community. Goa is one of the best places to celebrate; there are elaborate nativity scenes, midnight mass, carol singing, Christmas trees galore, and plenty of local sweets including dodol (jelly-like pudding with rice flour, coconut milk and jaggery) and neureos (coconut filled pastry). Christmas festivities are also prominent in Mumbai and Calcutta, where churches are beautifully lit and hotels and malls go all out with Christmas decor.
Kumbh Mela, rotating dates and locations
The largest religious gathering anywhere in the world, the Kumbh Mela rotates between four pilgrimage sites on four sacred rivers: Haridwar on the Ganges; Ujjain on the Shipra; Nashik on the Godavari; and Prayagraj on the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and Saraswati. It takes place four times over a course of 12 years and lasts several weeks each time, drawing millions of pilgrims and sadhus (holy men) who take a sacred dip in the river.
1- Hindus Muslims conflicts
India’s partition and the conflict over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority princely state ruled by a Hindu dynasty, were driven by local interests and philosophy, including the two-nation theory, which held that the Muslims of British India should be granted their own country, Pakistan
2- ETHNIC CONFLICT IN ASSAM
Of the three conflicts mentioned, Assam has attracted the largest attention of late. Not since the 1947 partition of India have so many people been killed and uprooted as a result of ethnic or communal violence. By most available reports now, mob violence has claimed four thousand lives, rendered about 200,000 homeless, and forced a large number to leave the state for protection elsewhere. The immediate occasion of this bloodshed was the election held in February, though conflict and tension have been present for the last three years. In Assam, three culturally disparate groups have been in collision: the Assamese, the Bengalis (both of which have segments of Hindus and Muslims) and the tribals, which are localized communities.
Some questions, May it concern you about the globe peace
Q. What do you know about India Kashmir conflict from 1947 till now?
The conflict started after the partition of India in 1947 as both India and Pakistan claimed the entirety of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a dispute over the region that escalated into three wars between India and Pakistan and several other armed skirmishes.
Q. What do you know about: Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development?
In 2009, the UNESCO General Conference decided to set up an institute focused on education about sustainable development in the Asia–Pacific region. In 2012, the former Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and the former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, launched this institute. Initially, a two-member team operated out of the UNESCO office in New Delhi. The team has expanded to over 35 members and works out of its independent office in central New Delhi.[1] The director of the institute is Anantha Kumar Duraiappah.
Q. What do you know about the religious conflicts in India?
India is characterized by more ethnic and religious groups than most other countries of the world. Aside from the much-noted 2000-odd castes, there are eight “major” religions, 15-odd languages spoken in various dialects in 22 states and nine union territories, and a substantial number of tribes and sects.
Meet some of our GPLT Ambassadors based on India
A simple video about India
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