Cultural Diversity in India
Traditions and customs do define our cultural heritage as a country. These aspects bring out identity and recognition amidst the vast rising modernism. India is one state endorsed with such rich cultures that are distinct in language, dressing, and several activities. Religion has been the key differentiating tool among the cultures inherent in India. The country is home to major religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. For instance, the North and the South have diverse cultural niche creating a composite mixture of the Indian culture.
India is one of the most populous countries in the world. The large population enhances the Indian cultural identity and diversity across the different geographical and religious lines. It accounts for the second highest home to Muslims in the World. Religious doctrines influence culture and it is on this religious basis that the diversity of the Indian culture exists. Additionally, language also differentiates the culturally endorsed nation with several languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu among many others. Language unites individuals creating social groups identical to a particular culture.
Food or the Indian cuisine brings out diversity in culture due to its variation across regions on preference and preparation. Rice, wheat, pulses, curries and spices are greatly identical to Indians with cooking styles varying on regional and religious grounds. However, the largest portion of Indians is vegetarian. In spite of cultural diversity, unification exists through art and architectural aspects. Culture has been a significant influence on Indian artistic features. For instance, Muslim used mortar masonry and constructed buildings inspired by their religious-based culture. Similarly, the Hindu religious architecture influence most constructions in the country and across the globe. Evidently, cultural diversity has been a great beneficial factor to enriching the country both socially and economically.
Culture is also expressed in art, namely, music, dance, poetry, drama, and painting. Art has led to the rise of pop culture amidst the cultural diversity in India accompanied by festivals that exhibit enthusiasm, color, rituals and prayers definite to cultural heritage. The festivals include the Diwali, and Holi with ritual observation being categorical to religion such as shrines, temple, Buddha for the Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhist. Unlike many countries with diverse cultures, India stands out in its integration of the cultures especially on clothing, eating habits and in the film industry. Caste and social stratification underlie traditions in the Indian communities. This influences culture as each caste has a distinctive occupation as per the social status ascribed to that caste. Despite modernism, this practice is still evident in India thus affects social relations, political affiliations, and marriages. The distinctiveness of the castes is indistinguishable with the subculture of that particular group.
Cultural diversity creates uniqueness and enriches a country’s history and social set ups with creativity in art and architectural aspects arising from such diversity. Unfortunately, it poses a challenge where these distinctions create language barriers and enhance social segregation due to variability of individuals on tribal, caste, religious or geographical basis. Politically and economically, cultural differences act as a disengagement factor, especially on civic levels. Some cultures are disadvantaged on income levels leading to a rise in evident separation between the rich and poor identical to specific subcultures. This is particularly evident in India where the poor caste remains so over generations as the wealthy maintain their noble class intergenerational. Moreover, color and race that forms part of culture identification have led to increased discrimination and these people live at the periphery of villages excluded from mainstream society.
