Indian Culture and Lifestyle

Indian culture and life style is always a subject of curiosity for the west. India, the country of Ten thousand years culture, the land of sharp contrasts and the perfect example of unity among vivid diversity believes in simple living and high thinking. Though Hindu dominated country, peaceful co-existence of people belonging to all religions of the world here is one of the greatest aspects of the Indian culture. Constitutionally, India is a secular country and every Indian enjoys equal rights irrespective of his/her religion, caste, sex and political opinion. When you minutely analyze the Indian life style and culture we find several other unique and interesting aspects of Indian culture. They are described below.

Irrespective of caste creed and religion, marriage is a must and the most auspicious social ceremony of every Indian family. And the interesting fact is that more than 70% of the marriages are arranged one even today. It means, the parents of the boy or girl take the decision about his/her marriage. However, there are few exceptions to this too. Indian family life is an extended and inclusive one. The concept of joint family and offspring taking complete care of the parents during old age is a common aspect of Indian lifestyle.

Clothing of Indians varies from state to state according to the Local Culture. The very word pajama has its root in India. Indians still believe in simple draped clothing. For men, the common dressing in North India is Kurtta and pajama. In south India, men wear Mundu (white wraparound clothing) and angavastram (shawl). Though sari is the most common apparel for Indian women in some parts like Punjab and Haryana, salwar-kameez is more popular.

Taking foot wears off is a common practice when some enters into temple or house. While accepting something, using only the right hand is another interesting custom related to Indian culture. Greeting guests with folded hands is another unique aspect of great Indian culture as Indians treat their guests as their God.