India is the second most populous country located in South Asia. It has a diverse landscape and climate. The main religions practiced are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. India has a long tradition of arranged marriages and greetings involve folding hands together. Indian food varies widely by region but is known for its spice and use of rice, breads, lentils, and vegetables. The caste system was historically important to Indian society but is now illegal. Indian authors have made significant contributions to literature.

2. Saffron – a symbol of
Courage
White – Peace and
Honesty
Blue – Vigilance,
Truth and
Loyalty,
Perseverance
and Justice
Green – hope, joy, Fertility and
Love and in many cultures have a
sacred significance
Saffron - a symbol of Courag

3. Spinning Ashoka Chakra
represents the eternal
wheel of law. In the center
was a traditional spinning
wheel, symbolizing Gandhi's goal of making.
Indians self-reliant by fabricating their own
clothing. The design was then modified to
include a white stripe in the centre for other
religious communities, and provide a
background for the spinning wheel.

4. Geographic Features
• India
• South Asia
• One of the Oldest Civilizations
• 2nd Populace Country
• ~1/3 US size
• ~3 time more people
• Himalayas in North
• Indian Ocean (S), Bay of Bengal (E)
& Arabic Sea (W)
• Sri Lanka (S), Myanmar &
Bangladesh (E), Nepal, Bhutan, &
China (N), & Pakistan &
Afghanistan (W)

5. Environment
• North: Himalayas
• South, East, & West: Seas
• Latitude: (E-W): 32°-10°N
• Longitude: (N-S): 70-90°E
• Summer: March to June
• Monsoon: June to
October
• Winter: October to March

6. PEOPLE
• India is the home to large number of
indigenous people, who are still untouched
by the lifestyle of the modern world. With
more than 84.4 million, India has the
largest population of the tribal people in
the world. These tribal people also known
as the adivasi's are the poorest in the
country, who are still dependent on
haunting , agriculture and fishing. All these
tribal people have their own culture,
tradition, language and lifestyle.

7. BODO GONDS
SANTHALS

8. ORISSA
BANJARA

9. KHASIS ANGAMISBHILS

10. CHENCHU
ANDAMAN

12. Tradition and Culture
• The uniqueness of Indian culture lies in its strong social
system and family values .
• The elders are considered the driving force and so are
respected and loved .
• The guests are considered as gods and are treated with
respect and love, even if by foregoing some of the
personal pleasures.
• Indians are always ready to help one another in times of
need.
• The philosophy of distributing joy and sharing sorrows is
also an important part of Indian culture.
• Unity in diversity can be seen here which teaches
tolerance and respect for others.

13. • NAME PROTOCOL: Younger never uses the proper
name of their elders. (eg: Anna, Akka etc.) Only
people of the same age will address each other by
first name. A Hindu wife never speaks the name of
her husband .
• CAUTION WITH FOOTWEAR: It is very important to
apologize immediately if one touches someone with
his or her shoe or sandal
• DISPLAYING AFFECTION: Married Hindu couples do
not hug, hold hands or kiss in public. Even embracing
at airports and train stations is considered not wise.
Men, however, frequently walk hand in hand.

14. • MODESTY: Interaction in public between men and
women is much more restrained in Hindu culture than
in Western culture. In Hindu culture, for the most part,
men socialize with men, and women with women. Men
never touch women in public unless the lady is very
elderly or infirm.
• WOMANLY RESERVE: In mixed company especially in
the presence of strangers, a Hindu woman will keep
modestly in the background and not participate freely
in conversation. This, of course, does not apply to
situations among family and close associates.
• SERVING AT MEALS: At meals women follow the
custom of serving the men first before enjoying their
own meal.

15. • CHAPERONING: It is customary for a woman to always be
accompanied when she leaves the home. Living alone, too, is
unusual.
• WOMEN IN Public : Generally it is improper for women to speak
with strangers on the street and especially to strike up a casual
conversation.
• HOME VISITS: Close friends can visit one another anytime
without being announced or making arrangements first. When
they drop in, at least a refreshing drink is always served.
• WIFE HOME ALONE: If the lady of the house is in home alone
and a male visitor comes to see her husband, it is not proper for
her to invite him in, nor for him to expect to enter. Rather, he
will leave a message and depart.

16. Clothing
• Traditional clothing in India greatly varies
across different parts of the country and is
influenced by local culture, geography, climate
and rural/urban settings.

17. Saree or Sari Ghagra Choli

18. Salwar Kameez Churidaar Kurta

19. Mundum Neriyathum
Pattu Pavadai

20. Dhoti Lungi

21. Sherwani kurta

22. Dastar Pheta

23. Festivals
• India is a land of great diversity. It described as a land of many religions and
innumerable languages, it might well be described as a land of festivals as
well. Indians love celebrating. Every little occasion from the harvesting of
crops, welcoming the spring or rain, to seeing the full moon lends itself to
joyous celebrations splashed with colors, music, folk dances and songs. Even
the birthdays of divine beings are celebrated by connecting them with
particular festivals.
• The homes are neatly decorated, new dresses are worn for every occasion,
prayers offered to Gods, and lot of sweets and goodies are cooked. Most of
these festivals are common to most part of India however they may be
known by different names in different parts of the country. Different cultures
also mean that different rituals are followed.

24. Gandhi Jayanthi
• A solemn celebration marking the birth date
of Gandhiji, the father of the nation, includes
prayer meetings at the Raj Ghat where he was
cremated.

25. Diwali or Deepawali
This is perhaps the
happiest of Hindu festivals Of
all the festivals celebrated in
India, Diwali is by far the
most glamorous and
important. its a festival of
lights symbolizing the victory
of righteousness and the
lifting of spiritual darkness.
Countless number of lamps
are lighted at night, giving
the impression that the stars
have descended on earth.

26. WEDDING
• Colorful costumes, vibrant settings, happy faces,
lip-smacking traditional food-fare and a lot more
comprise the extravaganza of an Indian wedding.
Indian weddings are elaborate and typically
consist of many functions. Simple weddings are
the best weddings. Although traditions and rituals
vary with different states in India.

27. Pre-wedding
• Sagan – event held
at the grooms house
where the Havan is
held by the pundit.
Afterwards the brides
father applies tilak to
the grooms head and
the brides family
present him with
blessings and gifts.

28. Chunni Chadana
This time the grooms
relatives visit the house of
the bride. She is given a red
Sari and dresses in clothes
that the grooms family
presents her with.
A Chunni is placed on her
head by the mother-in-law
and she is feed rice and milk
by the grooms family.
at the very end the rings are
exchanged.

29. Sangeet
• A musical program held
at both the bride and the
grooms homes where
traditional music is sung.
This event is held two or
three days before the
main ceremony and is
usually reserved for the
women.

30. Kwar Dhoti
• “Mehendi is considered
to be an ancient Indian
body art. It is used to
creating elaborate
ethnic or contemporary
designs and exotic
patterns on various
parts of the body;
traditionally mehendi
was applied on the
hands and feet of Indian
bride”

31. Wedding Ceremony
• Kanya Dan – the bride’s father gives away his
daughter to the groom while the mantras are
spoken.
• Vivah – Homa – the sacred fire ceremony
ascertaining that all auspicious undertaking
are begun in an atmosphere of purity.
• Pani – Grahan – the Groom takes the right
hand of the bride in his left hand and accepts
her as his lawfully wedded wide.

32. • Pratigna – karan – the couple walk around the
fire, the bride leading, and take solemn vows
of loyalty.
• Shila Arohan – the mother of the bride assists
her to step onto a stone slab and counsels
here to prepare herself for a new life.
• Laja – Homah – pufffed rice offered as
oblations into the sacred fire by the Bride
while keeping the palms of her hands over
those of the groom.

33. • Mangal Fera – the couple circles the sacred fire
seven times. This aspects of the ceremony
legalizes the marriage according to the Hindu
Marriage act as custom.
• Saptapadi – “Marriage Knot” symbolized by tying
the one end of the groom's scarf with the Bride’s
dress. Then they take seven steps representing
nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness,
progeny, long life harmony and undestanding.
• Abhisek – sprinkling of water meditating on the
sun and the pole star.
• Anna Praashan – thecouple make food offerings
into the fore then feed morsel of food to each
other expressing joy.

34. Is the world second most populous
nation (after China) and the seventh
largest in area, is located in South Asia
on the Indian subcontinent. It is about
3,000 km(1,875mi) wide and has ,
because of its peninsular shape, a
shoreline of about 7,000km (4,000mi)
along the Bay of Bengal on the east and
the Arabian Sea on the West.

35. India and Bharat are both official names.
The early settlers called their land “Bharat
Varsha” or Bharat and during medieval
times it was known as Hind. The name
India derives from the Indus River and was
used by the Ancient Greeks and Persians,
came into wide during the colonial
period.

36. • EDUCATION:
 Responsibility of both the central state
Government.
 Two states education is compulsory for children
aged 6 to 14 .
 India has the second largest University system
in the world, after the United States.
 Earliest Universities were established by the
British at Bombay, Calcutta, and
Madras in 1857.
Control and funding
coming from 3 levels:
1. Central
2. State
3. Local

37. PRIMARY EDUCATION:
 It emphasizes Primary education up to the age
of fourteen years old.
 80% of all recognized schools at the Elementary
stage are government run or supported.
• SECONDARY EDUCATION:
 Covers children 14-18 years old.
 Emphasis on the
inclusion of the
disadvantaged
sections of the
society and
vocational training.

38. HIGHER EDUCATION:
Third largest in the world.
University Grants Commission , which enforces
its
Standards.
Accreditation for higher learning education is
overseen by 12 autonomous institutions.
HOME SCHOOLING:
 Is legal in India.
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal that despite the RTE Act
of 2009.

39. LANGUAGES:
Official language is Hindi.
More than 200 languages are
spoken in India.
The most important of these are the
In-Aryan,
Indo-European, Dravidian language
group.

40. • INDO-ARYAN:
1. Assamese
Ex. Hello (formal) No
Hello (informal) Bhalne
2. Bengali
-written in Bengali script.
-its one of the most spoken language.
Ex. Please (Doyakore oronugroho).
3. Gujarati
-Derived from old Gujarati.
-chief language in the state of Gurajat.

41. Ex. Yes-ha
no-na
4. Kashmiri
-language from the Dardic sub-group.
6. Punjabi
-spoken by inhabitants of the
historical.
-it is the unusual because it is tonal
language.
7. Urdu
-precisely standard Urdu in the South
Asian language.
-national language and lingua franca
of Pakistan.

42. DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGE:
1. Tamil
-Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil
People.
-also a national language of Sri Lanka.
-longest surviving classical languages.
2. Telugu
-spoken in South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh
where it is an official language.
3. Malayalam
-mainly spoken in South West of India particularly in
Kerala.
-its written with the Vatteluttu alphabet which means
Round writing.

43. 4. Kannada
-spoken in India
predominantly in the state of
Karnataka. Whose native
speakers called Kannadigas.

44. HINDUISM:
-Various Gods and Goddesses.
3 lords that rule in the world:
1. Brahma- the creator
2. Vishnu- preserver
3. Shiva- the destroyer
Religions in India:

45. ISLAM:
-2nd most practised religion in India after
Hinduism.
-Came in India with Muslim invasion and
Arab trade to the Malabar coast in the 7th
and 8th century.
-Process of converting Indians to
Islam began in the 8th century.

46. CHRISTIANITY:
• Third largest approximately 24 million
followers.
• Introduced to India by Thomas the
Apostle who visited Muziris in Kerala in
52AD.

47. SIKHISM:
-Fourth largest religion in India existed over 500
years.
-Its founder is Guru Nanak Dev ji.
Predominantly located in Punjab.
-Its place of worship called Gurdwara.
-The Harminder Sahib also know as ( Golden
temple in Amritsar in Punjab is the most
important site and its considered the Holiest
shrine of Sikhism.

48. BUDDHISM:
-Based on teaching of Siddharta
Gautama.
-followers called Buddhist in
English, referred themselves as
Saugata.

49. JAINISM:
• 6 largest Religion. There are 5,200,000
Jainism in the 1.028 billion Population of
India.
• ALWAYS EXISTED AND WILL ALWAYS
EXIST.
• Traditionaly as Jaina Dharma.
• One oldest Religion of the world.

50. -Emphasizes spiritual interdependence and
equality between all forms of life.
Ex. Inspect the ground they walk.
do not walk in grass.

51. CULTURE OF INDIA:
• Indian’s languages, religions,
dance, music, architecture, food
and customs differ from place to
place.

52. ARRANGED MARRIAGE:
• Have been tradition in Indian
society.
• In the past, the age of marriage was
young, especially in Rajasthan.

53. GREETINGS:
• Folding hands together with a smile to
greet Namaste- a common cultural
practise in India.
• Namaskar is considered a slightly more
formal version than Namaste but both
expresses deep respect.
• Commonly used in in india and Nipal
in Hindus.

54. INDIAN FOOD:
• Is different from the rest of the
world not only in taste but also in
cooking methods.
• It reflects a prefect blend in various
cultures and ages.
• Better known for its spiciness.

55. NORTH INDIAN FOOD:
• Kashmiri cuisines reflect strong
Central Asian influences. In Kashmir,
mostly all the dishes are prepared
around the main course of rice
found abundantly in the beautiful
valley.

56. WEST INDIAN FOOD:
• The dessert cuisine is famous for its
unique taste and varieties of food.
Rajasthan and Gujarat are the states
that represent the dessert flavor of
Indian food.

57. SOUTH INDIAN FOOD:
-In the Southern Indian, the
states make great use of spices,
fishes and coconuts, as most of
them have coastal kitchen.

58. CASTE SYSTEM OF INDIA

59. Indian authors have influenced
an entire generation with their
writing.
R. K. Narayan
Kiran Desai Raj Kamal Jha