India – An embodiment of Unity in Diversity

by Nikee Kapoor An India travel expert

When we talk about India, lot of images come alive on the panel of our mind portraying diversity as the core essence of Indian heritage. Being a beaming model to the other nations of the world, the residents of India are far-famed for their amiable hospitality of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and impeccable love and respect for their motherland.

The Indian continent is profusely diverse in terms of various facets as delineated below:-

Multifarious Cuisine

Widely commentated to have a varied taste, Indian food is as diversified as its culture. A distinct flavour and aroma is peculiar to every region due to the incorporation of assorted spices and ingredients. The Indian cuisine could be broadly classified into four categories –

North Indian- With rotis being the staple diet of the region, people of the northern region also enjoy an assortment of lentils and vegetables. The food is lightly spiced and there is a distinct demarcation in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian class of people. A lavish amount of spices and condiments is used to add that exotic fragrance to the meals.

South Indian – The food is mostly steamed or roasted. Rice constitutes the main ingredient of dishes that are served with a thin liquid called Rasam and a gentle gravy called Sambar. Chutneys are popular in this region with tamarind, curd and coconut mostly used as raw material. All food items are highly flavoured with curry leaves.

East India – Primarily non-vegetarians, with fish being the dominating ingredient, the East Indians incorporate a generous amount of chillies and other hot spices to its foodstuff. Rice is the basic accompaniment to various curries, stews and gravies that are relished by the dwellers.

Western India – Largely henpecked by the deserts, the western region is dry and desiccates hence the food is cooked with a minimum amount of water. Most of the dishes are made of ground lentils. The food is relished steamed or roasted with dry spices. There is the abundant use of chutney and pickles and non-vegetarian is rarely found.

Diverse Climatic Conditions

The diverse and complex topography of Indian continent witnesses a huge contradiction in weather conditions ranging from equatorial to alpine, tropical to continental type. Temperatures can differ drastically from region to region. The Indo-Gangetic plains observe very hot summers and freezing winters while east part of the country is lush green with plenty of rain round the year. The south and western region is hot and humid and deserts are dry and airy.

ASSORTED TRADITIONAL HERITAGE

A unique amalgamation of customs and traditions is the essence of diverse Indian culture. A variation in topography, climate, language and culture imparts that variableness to the tradition across the continent. Most of this uniqueness comes from ancient Indian scriptures and texts that have found a place in the lives of people.

The tradition of doing Namaste:- India is well known and represented by its tradition of greeting with Namaste, indicated by folded palms in front of chest with a notion of submerging one's ego and looking forward to having an intellectual connection with the other person.

Multidimensional dance forms:- Without the mention of diverse dance forms encompassing various classical and folk dances from different regions, the discussion on the diversity of culture remains incomplete. The most popular classical dance forms are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali etc. Folk dances depict smaller regions and are performed on occasions like birth, marriage, harvest season etc. Some of the folk dances of India are Gaur Dance, Chhau Dance, Bihu Dance, Dumhal Dance, Padayani Dance etc.

The diversity of festivals:- India is a land of different religions and beliefs and thus each religion has it's own festivals and customs attached. The Muslims celebrate Eid, Sikhs have Baisakhi, Hindus have Diwali, Holi and Jains have Mahavir Jayanti. All these festivals are celebrated with great mirth and enthusiasm and calls for holidays in the Indian calendar.

Diverse Attire:- Clothing differs from region to religion and Indians wear both ethnic and western attire. They have their own traditional wear like dhoti, kurta, sari, sherwani, turban etc. People are more particular about wearing their traditional dresses on festivals and special occasions to denote their culture and beliefs attached.

Diversity in language and Religion:-

India is a place of conjugation of many religions. People of different religions, caste and creed speaking different languages live peacefully and respect each other. Here Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists and Jains follow different social customs and perform different rituals. More than 200 languages are present in this country like Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Oriya etc with English language playing a major role in unifying the educated class.