Festivals
Next on our list of customs and traditions in Indian culture is festivals. There are hundreds of celebrations to experience in India, meaning that every day holds a new celebration. The huge variety of festivals represents India’s rich culture and traditions, with state-wide, religion-based, and community-focused festivals on offer.
Hindus celebrate Diwali, Holi and Makar Sakranti, Muslims observe Eid, Baisakhi (crop harvesting) is a Sikh festival, Jains commemorate Mahavir Jayanti and Buddhists mark Buddha’s birthday. Christmas and Good Friday are celebrated by Christians too. Then there are festivals to honour saints, public figures and gurus.
Indian festivals can feature ornate idols in extravagant parades, specific food dishes, dancing and music, sacred rituals and vibrant colours. There are also well-being, yoga and walking festivals. Unlike many festivals around the world which can be boozy affairs, many ‘dry days’ where the sale of alcohol is prohibited fall on major national Indian festivals and occasions. Why not incorporate a festival into your tour for the chance to be part of community celebrations and create magical holiday memories?
Clothing
Clothes in India depend on the climate, cultural traditions and ethnicity of each region. Both male and female clothing has progressed from simple garments covering the body (sari, dhoti, gamcha, kaupina, langota, lungi and loincloths) into intricate costumes used not only in daily wear but also on festive occasions, rituals and dance performances. You’ll see western clothing worn by people of all social levels in urban areas.
Traditional Indian clothing often showcases fantastic skills passed down from generations, including embroidery, embellishment and printing, as well as ornate textiles such as fine silk. Clothing may be worn in particular colours to represent a religion or a particular ritual.
Dancing
India offers a wide variety of dance forms which vary throughout each state. The Hindu Sanskrit ‘Natyashashtra’ (text of performing arts) recognises eight Indian classical dances, which includes Kathak in North, West and Central India, with East India showcasing Sattriya from Assam, Manipuri from Manipur and Oddisi from Odhisa. In South India, you can witness the Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, Bharatnatyam in Tamil Nadu, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam in Kerala.
These dance forms have dramatic narratives, with performers telling stories mostly from mythology through gestures and movement.
Indian folk dances are also based on stories, this time passed down through generations. These dances are popular in rural areas with performances showing the everyday life of villagers.
Literature
India has many great epics dating back many centuries in the form of stories, poems, plays and self-help guides. The two most famous Hindu epics are the Ramayana and Mahabharata, which both contain thrilling tales of gods and demons, love and war and chariots and kidnappings. These stories have been told and retold for thousands of years and play a huge part in Indian culture.
The Ramayana tells the story of Rama, prince of the legendary kingdom of Kosala, and follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha. The Mahabharata is the longest poem that has been written in Sanskrit. Both epics tell of good triumphing over evil and show the values of devotion, loyalty, sacrifice and truth.
Language
The last in our list of customs and traditions in Indian culture is language. India is a land of many fascinating languages and dialects which can change even within a few miles. There are more than 19,500 mother tongues, 415 living languages, and 23 constitutionally recognised official languages in India. Hindi is spoken by 41% of the population, particularly in the north, and 12% of Indians can speak English as a second language.
Many people living in India write in the Devanagari script, developed between the 1st and 4th centuries. The script contains 47 primary characters including 14 vowels and 33 consonants and is written from left to right. The characters have symmetrical rounded shapes within squared outlines and are all written in the same case, without any capitalisation.
