The long span of Indian history covering more than 3000 years and enumerating several civilizations has been a constant reminder of the country's rich multicultural extravaganza and world-renowned heritage. The people and their lifestyles, their dance forms and musical styles, art & handicrafts, and such other elements go on to reflect the varied hues of Indian culture and heritage, which truly epitomises the nationality of the country. This section attempts at showcasing all those elements, which act as a window to the culture and heritage of India.

Lifestyle, Values & Beliefs
India is a diverse country, a fact that is visibly prominent in its people, culture and climate. From the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify the geography.
The food, clothing and habits of an Indian differ in accordance to the place of origin.

Culture

The Indian culture varies like its vast geography. People speak in different languages, dress differently, follow different religions, eat different food but are of the same temperament. So whether it is a joyous occasion or a moment of grief, people participate whole-heartedly, feeling the happiness or pain. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. Likewise, an Indian wedding is a celebration of union, not only of the bride and groom, but also of two families, maybe cultures or religion too! Similarly, in times of sorrow, neighbours and friends play an important part in easing out the grief.

Science : The global image of India is that of an upcoming and progressive nation. True, India has leaped many boundaries in all sectors- commerce, technology and development etc in the recent past, yet she has not neglected her other creative genius. Wondering what it is? Well, it the alternative science that has been continuously practiced in India since times immemorial. Ayurveda, is a distinct form of medicine made purely of herbs and natural weeds, that can cure any ailment of the world. Ayurveda has also been mentioned in the Ancient Indian epics like Ramayana. Even today, when the western concept of medicine has reached its zenith, there are people looking for alternative methods of treatment for its multifarious qualities.

With increasing complexities in one's lives these days, people are perpetually looking for a medium through which they get some peace of mind. This is where another science, that of meditation and spirituality comes into the scene. Meditation and Yoga are synonymous with India and Indian spirituality. Meditation is one of the most important components of Yoga, which is a mind-body therapy involving a series of exercises. The word 'meditation' covers many disparate practices from visualizing situations, focusing on objects or images, thinking through a complex idea, or even getting lost in a provocative book, all qualifying as meditation in the broad sense. However in Yoga, meditation generally refers to the more formal practice of focusing the mind and observing oneself in the moment. Many people from India and abroad are resorting to yoga and meditation to de-stress and rejuvenate their mind.

Another widely followed phenomena in India is the Doctrine of Karma that preaches that every person should behave justly as every act or deed comes back in full circle in one of the births of an individual.

A very important aspect of India in the recent past is the emergence of the New Age woman. Women in India are predominantly homemakers, though this perspective is changing. In many places, especially metros and other cities, women are the bread earners of the house or are at par with their male counterparts. The increase in the cost of living/economy has also contributed to the rise in this aspect.

The beauty of the Indian people lies in their spirit of tolerance, give-and-take and a composition of cultures that can be compared to a garden of flowers of various colours and shades of which, while maintaining their own entity, lend harmony and beauty to the garden - India!

Ethnicity of India :With a population of more than 1,027 million as accounted by the March 1, 2001 population census, India is a colourful canvas portraying a unique assimilation of ethnic groups displaying varied cultures and religions. In fact, this uniqueness in the ethnicity of the country is the factor that makes it different from other nations. Moreover, the vastness of India's nationalism, accounting to a plethora of cultural extravaganza, religions, etc. is the reason that the country is seen more as a seat for a major world civilization than a mere nation-state.
Since ancient times, the spiritual land of India has displayed varied hues of culture, religion, race, language, and so on. This variety in race, culture, religion, etc. accounts for the existence of different ethnic groups who, although, live within the sanctums of one single nation, profess different social habits and characteristics. Regional territories in India play an important role in differentiating these ethnic groups, with their own social and cultural identities. The religions that are prevalent in the country are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism, with the freedom for citizens to practice any religion they want to. With the governance of 35 different states and union territories in the country, there has originated a sense of regionalism amongst the various parts, with different states displaying different cultures, which although eventually fuse through a common bond to showcase a national cultural identity. The Constitution of India has recognised 22 different languages that are prevalent in the country, out of which, Hindi is the official language and is spoken in most of the urban cities of India. Other than these 22 languages, there are hundreds of dialects that add to the multilingual nature of the country.

Festivals

India is a land of festivals and fairs. Virtually celebrating each day of the year, there are more festivals celebrated in India than anywhere else in the world. Each festival pertains to different occasions, some welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings and saints, or the advent of the New Year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion. Some of the festivals celebrated all over India are mentioned below. However, this section is still under enhancement. There are many other important festivals celebrated by various communities in India.

Janmashtami
Christmas
Rakshabandhan
Deepawali
Id-ul-Zuha
Ramanavami
Guru Nanak Jayanti

Classical Dances:

Dance in India, is rooted to age-old tradition. This vast sub-continent has given birth to varied forms of dancing, each shaped by the influences of a particular period and environment. The nation offers a number of classical dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people.
These are some of the famous Classical Dances of India:

Bharatanatyam
Kathakali
Kathak
Odissi
Manipuri
Mohiniattam
Kuchipudi
Kutiyattam

The age-old culture of India has given birth to various forms of folk dances, coming from the unique diversity that the nation has. The diversity in culture and tradition is well reflected in the folk dances. All these dance forms from different states portray some expression of life and almost every dance posture has a specific meaning. These are some of the famous Folk Dances of India

Bhangra
Bhortal Nritya
Bhavai
Bihu
Garba
Kummi
Poikkal Kudirai Attam
Devarattam
Thabal Chongba
Chhau
Jatra

Classical Music: The roots of the Indian music can be traced back to the Vedic period, when the celestial creator of the universe, Brahma was said to have handed down music to the world through his son, sage Narada, to usher in an era of peace and solace among humanity. Music is one of the oldest forms of art, which has been reflecting the richness of Indian culture and tradition throughout ages. Right from the evolution of music, there have been many developmental phases in its path, which have redefined the creative enormity and infiniteness of the art.

New historical and cultural research has shown that Indian music has progressed through a very intricate communication between different people practising different traditions and cultures. The amalgamation of the musical styles of various races in the country displays the ethnic diversity of India, which is found nowhere in any other nation.
The earliest form of music was used during the Vedic period as sacred hymns, which were chanted through a method called "Ek Swari Gaayana," meaning singing with the help of one note. The single note hymns gradually developed to the "Gatha Gaayana" method of singing with double notes. Eventually, the Vedic chants of the single note, double notes, and such other systems gave way to the initiation of the seven note system called "Saptaswara". Modern studies of the Vedic period reveal that music had been regarded as a highly previleged art form in every household, as it had been handed down to them by the Gods themselves. In this context, the glory of the Gupta period reverberates throughout the history of Indian music as one of the most important contributors to the development of Indian music.
The evolution of modern-day Indian music, or "Sangeet," as it is popularly known in the country, has simplified the art form through various innovations. Indian music has essentially been known to be performed through three modes - vocal music, instrumental music, and dance. All the three mediums of music are prevalent in the two prominent kinds of Indian classical music, namely the North Indian classical music or the Hindustani classical music, and the classical music of South India or the Carnatic music, as well as other folk music.

Hindustani Music : The history of Hindustani classical music is said to have originated during the period of the Indus Valley Civilization, although the only evidencial support to the claim are the recovery of the famous bronze dancing girl from that period and the customary worshipping of Rudra or Shiva, the God of dance, drama, and music. After the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization came the stage of the Vedic music, in which sacrifices and prayers were made to the Gods through hymns and chants in musical style. Moreover, music was one of the key factors in the creation of two of the greatest of Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Music in India, from the transitional period to the modern age has witnessed tremendous development in style and methodology. Great musicians in the history of Indian music, such as Kalidasa, Tansen, Amir khusrou, etc. have contributed immensely to the progress of Indian music, the reputation of which is still being maintained in the modern era by musical stalwarts like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Prabha Atre, Sultan Khan, Zakeer Hussain, and so on.

Carnatic Music :The south Indian form of Indian classical music is known as Carnatic music, and is a musical style performed with the company of several musical instruments, such as violin, veena, mridangam, etc. Carnatic music is prevalent in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, kerala, Andhra pradesh and Karnataka. Carnatic music follows a pattern of mainly devotional themes, most of which are sung in the praise of Hindu deities. The prime components of Carnatic music follows the same pattern as any other Indian classical music, which are the Raga, implying the melody part, and the Tala, denoting the rhythmic part. Musical instruments are an intrinsic part of Carnatic music, and have strengthened the foundation of this art form at the hands of immaculate musicians like T.R. Mahalingam, M. Chandrasekaran, and so on. Some of the proponents of Carnatic classical music have created waves in the international circuit through their immortal compositions and have been bestowed with several awards and commemorations, thus making them legends in the field. Some of these doyens of carnatic music include the names of M.S. Subbulakshmi, Madurai Mani Iyer, M.S. Balasubramanya Sarma, and so on.

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