India’s Culture0687Plaza CollegeProfessor Welsh India is a fascinating country commonly known for its great diversity. Culture is the lifestyle of the people of any country. It is what defines a group of people and distinguishes them from others. Indian culture is so different that it differs from one another but co-exists at the same time. “In a culture divided into so many communities, almost everyone is other”.
(Joshi, 2001). The culture of India is rich and very well known for its food, marriage, unfair treatment to women.Indian culture is the heart of India as is a way of life for many natives.
The influence of the cultural aspects expands beyond their society. Understanding the values, ethics, and principles is very important to the people in India. The variety of culture and societies indicates the great diversity of this great nation. An interesting aspect of culture is food.
The Indian cuisine is widely known and acknowledged internationally for its sweet and spicy flavors. Different types of basic spices in India include masala, garam masala, and rice with grain. Indian cook blend spices in several different ways. They also have specific rules in dining, serving food generally according to hierarchy. “The food is rich with curries and other spices”. (Zimmermann, 2017). Indian food is categorized using spices and other vegetables.
Each family in Indian includes a wide assortment of dishes, and cooking techniques. Religious beliefs have a huge influence on food culture. However, the culinary arts have evolved across India as a result of the large scale of cultural interaction. (Stewart, 2006) Within such a multi-faceted land you able to find rich and flavored food. The spices and many different condiments that Indians add to their food shows exactly why their food stands out from others.India tradition has always been to welcome different streams. Traditions have been followed from generation to generation.
Many of these traditions have been around for thousands of years. “India’s society is deeply rooted in religion, language, and traditions”. (Haub, 2006). Indian cherish traditions and is a wisdom that is passed throughout all the generations. Managing to preserve unity and true ethnicity. One of the most well knows traditions in India is the arranged marriage.
(Shashank 2018) states that arrange marriages is a tradition that continues to grow within the Indian culture. Arranging a marriage is the responsibility of Indian parents and other family members of both bride and groom. A wedding is one of the greatest events in a family. Some marriage arrangements may begin for a child even before birth. ” For thousands of years, fathers in India have arranged the marriages of their children”. (Gardiner, 2015). The bride’s family usually host most of the ceremonies.
In India, if a female is not married at a certain age it is considered as a shame for the whole family. The wedding rituals may vary, one of the main rituals that remain unchanged is a father gifts his daughter, holding hand near the fire; the groom takes the bride’s hand as a sign of their union. Marriage celebration India usually last a week long. Father of the bride is responsible for providing a dowry that accompanies the bride as she moves into her new home. For Indians, marriage is considered an important factor in their society.
Although arranged marriage is an old tradition the evolution of time has corrected it. Nowadays in India, a girl and boy are asked whether they agree to get married. The numbers of divorce in India is extremely low compared to other countries.
Women play a significant role in every culture. Indian women have fought for equality for quite some time. They have managed to progress as time progress. The status of women in India has been subject to great changes for the past years. Being no strangers to discriminations, for example, women that marry outside of their race have discriminated against causing them to lose the Indian citizenship. Females in India are treated as secondary citizens, being slightly educated, with poorly training for any type of professions. “The role of women in Indian society is too often viewed as a kind of liability”. (Poverties, 2017).
(The Economist 2018) refers to fewer women out working and maintaining the traditions of being housewives. In modern India, women have a little notable, influence and are more prepare educational wise. Many challenges have yet to be overcome before women would be acknowledged in India. Being a woman in Indian society can be said to be cursed. Women in India face many social issues and problems. They are considered a burden for their parents and husband’s because they think women are there to consume money.
Indian women have been categorized as inferior to men. Facing a lot of challenges such as childbearing, family care roles, and malnutrition. The sex ratio of India shows that society is still prejudiced against females. Women are not breastfed long and seeking a baby boy get pregnant fast. Females are not given the proper medical attention, which results in malnutrition. Getting married at a very young age leads to pregnancy at a time when their body is not fully developed resulting in childbirth complications.
Women are not given the right to freely move anywhere, without the permission of a male member of the family. This means that they miss regular doctors’ checkups. Education for Indian women is also a deep subject that has prevailed through time.
According to medieval perception, women need to just household education this perception persists in many Indian villages today. Girls are supposed to fulfill household duties and education becomes secondary. Although this has changed in urban areas where the women are opting for a higher education. One of the main reasons for girls not going to school is the poor economic condition. Another reason is that slot of schools is located far, is that most of the Indians still live in small villages. The lack of education is the root of many problems.
Nowadays the educational and occupational pattern has changed. Today, women in India are aware of their rights and privileges, bring politically, socially, and economically not backward anymore. In the modern era, Indian women have managed to produce great leaders from many different professions. Women are still exploited and abuse. Even highly educated women who reside in urban areas cannot spend their money as they will like. A husband has far superior position over the wife and is the husband that makes all major decisions in the household. The men have gradually changed their attitude towards women working yet have not changed their minds on a women rights to spend their own money. Their hard work as housewives and working women still go unrecognized and undervalued.
Present status of women in India must further be improved. It cannot be achieved unless the women come forward raising their voices against social and male arrogance. In conclusion, the different cultural aspects, tradition, and its women is a broad topic among the people in India. In a nation where is mainly prevalent by men little but a great change has been accomplished. The influence of the culture and traditions are very impressive. Unity and diversity are beyond limits, at the same time it is so amazing how this nation could maintain unity being so different in many ways.
Indian culture will never cease to amaze you and let you find something new. From its history to the background of the culture everything seems to be so intriguing. Therefore, the Indian culture is unique and has a multitude of practices. ReferencesBukhari, H., ; Haq, I. (2017, 12). The child bride. Southasia, 21, 48-49.
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