About India

Every mile that you walk in India you will encounter a completely new culture, language and religion. There are over a thousand religions and languages in India, with Hinduism in the majority.

As the country houses god fearing people, religion in India is deep rooted in every household. There are prayers before an auspicious occasion, after an occasion and at various times. Infact the day begins with a prayer and a shot puja.

India region changes at different locations. From paganism to having a name for their gods, there has been a sea-change in what people have been praying to. Except for tribals that live in the deeper parts of India, religion to them is set on a different tangent.

As India is a confluence of many religions and cultures you find various worshipping sites. One city would house, temples, churches and mosques along with niche worshipping sites. Building a holy shrine is not possible without the authority of the government. Only once it passes through the government can construction begin. However the government does grant permission after sufficient research.

Number of religions of India outlasts the number of religions found in any other country. Unlike other foreign countries that have one or a maximum of two religions, India is the world’s biggest democratic country with the maximum number of religions.

The main religions of India are Hinduism with 82% followed by Muslims 13%, Christians 2.34 % which are followed by Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and other minor communities.

However Hinduism is the primary term for many smaller classes and communities that fall under this sector. It includes the Gujarathis, Marathis, Punjabis, and various sub castes in these secondary religions. But most of them read the holy scriptures of the Bhagwad Gita or the Vedas.

Buddhism is one religion that had been born in India, but has spread outside India more than the native country. China, Tibet and other surrounding nations have embraced Buddhism, it is one religion that is even spreading in the western world.

Poverty is a vicious cycle that exists in India. And is set at an alarming rate spreading across the country in rural and urban areas. Every country has its own definition for poverty, in India the planning commission has laid down the definition as the minimum consumption of 2400 calories per day in the rural areas and 2100 calories in the urban areas. Individuals that are not able to meet this minimum intake is said to be people living under poverty line in India.

There are many causes for poverty in India. It stems from excessive population, low investments, minimum literary rate, inequalities in religion and defects in public distribution system.

Also as Indian villages are heavily dependant on agriculture which has meager returns, poverty is wide-spread in the remote villages. These distressed villagers migrate to the cities in hope for a better life. Resulting in large shanties and slum areas leading to urban poverty in India.

There is a plausible solution to every problem. And poverty can be eradicated. The government has been passing reforms since the constitution had been formed, but success results are hazy. Some of the programmes that have been implemented are integrated rural development programme; minimum needs programme, food for work programme and small farmer’s development programme among others.

Besides this a few more poverty in India solutions include in bringing about literacy. Exaggerated population hazards have to be explained and condoned among the public. Job sector has to expand itself and the inflation rate has to come down. Interest on fixed deposits have to increase so the common man can benefit from his meager savings.

This is not an impossible task as China the world’s most populous country is bringing population under control and in turn benefiting its own public. As this is a democratic country, forcing rules is not a possible and have to be advocated though schools, colleges, public stations etc.

Food from India is relished the world over. Because of its indigenous spices and flavours that arise. So much is the demand that spices are exported on a regular basis to European countries and the oriental land.

However the Indian masala dishes are best savoured in the country, because they love spicy food that consist of lots of masala and fried in oil. Vegetarian masala dishes include paneer, kofta etc.

Some prefer the masala curry. Curry has come to be known as a gravy dish that is mostly made with coconut as a main ingredient. Along the coastal regions of India most of the food is made with coconut. So the Indian curry is thick because of the coconut or the coconut milk along with the other spices. Add to it some fish, vegetables or just have it plain, your taste buds will love you.

The best accompaniment with curry is rice. It soaks in the gravy and gives you a flavour you will always come back for, asking more. In rice too you can get a variety of cooked styles. India rice dishes include pulao, geera or the regular plain rice.

A normal Indian food plate will contain chapatti bhajji or rice curry. But in one corner you will have pickle, or pappad. Indian side dishes are what people are habituated to, they need something delightfully tasty that helps them enjoy the food. So it could be a table spoon of pickle or chatni but the urge to have it along with the meal is heady.

Food in India is highly affected by customs and traditions. The use of a particular spice or a particular ingredient is dependant on the custom prevalent. Also food in India is mostly cooked by the lady. The woman of the house puts her hand in the kitchen and no one else. Men normally do not involve themselves with the cooking chores.

Hence hundred of women go for cooking classes to get an expert hand on food dishes. As cooking is a lady’s prerogative to find an ideal husband women take it up seriously. However with changing times even the man has crossed the tabooed line of the kitchen and helps his wife. Infact some of the best chefs in India are men. But be it men or women, one morsel of food from India will keep you binded to the country forever.

Food is a priority that comes before everything for an Indian. And mother’s food is considered god sent for an Indian. After all she puts in loads of love and care, the outcome a delicious meal.

Eating out has become a trend these days. With more and more Indian restaurants in India opening up, the variety has gotten even better. Now it all depends on the foodie as to where he wants to eat and what he wants to eat.

The restaurant is the new age look of what a dhabba had been centuries ago. A shack with poles and the food cooked right in front of you so you could smell the goodness even before it arrives on your plate.

A few reckoned dhabbas that still live in India are Zamindara Dhaba that is located between Ambala and Ludhiana. Around 50 kilometers from Delhi lies Gulshan Dhaba at Murthal. Another delicious dhaba would be Puran Singh’s at Ambala.

But if you are looking at a proper set vegetarian restaurant then step into Bhojan at Panaji, Goa, Bawarchee at Ahmedabad, Midtown Vegetarian Restaurants at Bangalore or Sagar in New Delhi and cherish the age old spices that come live in your mouth.

If fine dining is at the back of your head then try the five-star restaurants spread across the country that include the Leelas, Taj, Oberoi’s, JW Marriot etc. Here you can enjoy the flavours of around the world with the best of service and of course a mouth watering menu.

Indian fast food restaurants are another segment in the food industry that is picking up momentum. This is because of the rapid lifestyles metropolitans are used to. They just pick up a fast snack or sit and devour it in seconds, killing that hunger pang. There are many Chinese fast food restaurants that have opened up, and various other South and North Indian fast food joints are thriving successfully.

India is a boiling pot of flavours from all around the world. This is because of the invasions that our country has succumbed to from time immemorial. The Aryans, the Guptas, The Mughals, The Marathas, The Dutch, French and ultimately The English have left lasting imprints on the soil of the country.

So India’s culture today is a mix of what has happened during the princely times, the Raj and the motley of the contemporary world. The society is formed on what have been the perceptions and what the modern world requires. But Indian cultures are rooted deeply within religion. An individual acts or reacts based on what has been his upbringing that is indirectly affected by his religion.

Cultures and foods of India is directly related. The culture of a person determines how he sits, talks, walks and what he eats. For instance in the south, a meal is incomplete without rice. And 90% of every dish contains coconut. On the other hand, in the north wheat flour products are mandatory in every dish. So be it in the form of puris or parathas, hail the wheat flour. This is because that particular resource grows in their very backyard. So access is simple. This enhances the product usage and adds to the culture nimbus.

Respect elders, talk in a low tone, be god fearing and work hard are a few of the characters parents teach irrespective of where you live in India. In adulthood creativity is encouraged and individuals take up various arts and crafts that reflect the culture of the country. Even the festivities and rituals are so meticulously celebrated that one can see it has been handed down from generations keeping the culture alive.

Infact the distinct culture of India has attracted people from around the world. No doubt tourism has been escalating year after year. This is because India is rich in heritage and culture and has opened its arms wide open for countries outside to embrace.

Education in India is one of the cheapest features as compared to foreign countries. And with a wide variety of courses and vocational subjects that are provided many foreign nationals come to India for further studies.

Indian universities are mostly government funded and provide resources like libraries and archives for research. They are authentic institutions that guide the students towards quality with authentic mark sheets and diplomas. To name a few universities would be University of Mumbai, University of Delhi, IIM and IIT, besides these there is at least one university in each state of the country.

In today’s world education is considered as an unending process. Gone are the days when you completed your SSC or graduation and you thought that was the end of your academic sabbatical. Today even the working youth and adults study further. But as they are short on time due to 8 hours of a daily work schedule, institutions have gone ahead and offered courses online. Online universities in India provide information of courses offered, timetables and various other information. Infact in some online institutions you can register yourself for the course online, fill in the form and pay the fees. This reduces the stress on the student as his few trips have been saved.

After graduation more than 50% students pursue their management course. MBA – Management in Business Administration is a course that hones students to become managers and ultimately lead the organisation. They are taught strategic planning, brand understanding, statistics and more. The renowned MBA universities in India include the IIM and the Hyderabad institute – ISB. Besides these state universities also provide MBA programmes and with the dearth of students applying for it, there have been colleges and institutions that have been mushrooming all over the country to provide MBA degrees and diplomas.

As many Indian students are travelling abroad for higher education, foreign countries have thought of making it simpler by establishing themselves in India. Foreign universities in India will bring the professionalism and quality what you pay for abroad in the comfort of your country.

Take a walk down an Indian street and you will find the local vendor, the street hawker, and even the fish seller owning a mobile. So huge has the mobile industry gotten that it has consumed more than 20 million Indian citizens.

How did this fancy of a mobile phone turn into a rage? Instant communication, get work done, pass messages, save time, make money are a few of the advantages that you inherit with a mobile phone. So who would not want that, that too in an industrial town like Mumbai where everyone is out to make some money?

So with every second person opting to buy a mobile phone the industry has grown gargantuan. In 2005 thirty million handsets had been sold in 2006 it crossed 69.3 million so you can imagine the growth rate of India’s mobile phone industry.

So what are the mobile phones in India that people are going crazy over. Leading the market share is Nokia, the mobile phone from Finland, its service and utility keeps going on and on giving you true value for your money. Here the range begins from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 30000 and even Rs. 40000 for those who need high end features.

There are phones that cater only for music, so you can load your phone with MP3 songs, wave or any other music format. The N series in Nokia is music oriented. But if you are a business person and look for business oriented features like working in word, PDF etc. then the E series cater to these needs. Competition in the industry includes Samsung, Sony Eriksson, Siemens, Reliance etc.

The mobile market is also growing in terms of ring tones. These are sounds that you can imbibe in your phone as caller tunes or phone ringer. Caller tunes mean when a call comes in, instead of the standard tring tring you can hear a song that has been selected by the owner and programmed in his phone. Phone ringers are the sounds the receiver can hear when a call comes in. He can change the ringer of each and every person on his contact list. However the service for caller tunes is charged and that of the phone ringer is not.

Indian ring tones are mostly bollywood latest tracks or English chart toppers. And ofcourse for those that are religious oriented they can even opt for bhajans as their caller tune. In other words the mobile industry caters to individual needs and preferences.

The art that you see today has not evolved from nothingness. It had always been there even in ancient India.

Sometimes art stems from the religion you are following. So if you are Muslim the threads that you follow will be a little different from that of a Hindu or a Christian. If not religion then language and thought processes do matter. All the variations in the country are primarily because of the invaders that left their imprints behind.

From the Gupta dynasty to the Mughal Empire, carvings and culture to each empire has influenced the country even though they were set in the 16th century. If you look back from when time began, primitive men were known to communicate through symbols. They devised art in the form of carvings on rocks with tools they honed from animal bones.

Years later in the excavations of Mahenjodara and Harappa sculptures and art forms of highly intellect men were found in the form of symbols and sculptures. This shows that the ancient India figure sculpture had already evolved itself. The dimensions and creativity found showed that the people living there were highly brainy as coins with symbols on it also existed.

Art in ancient India is also visible in the carvings of palaces, forts and temples. The beautiful work of art still stands tall at various locations in India. One example the world is looking at is the Taj Mahal. Right from the marble that is used to the artistic work done on the tiles to the ceiling show how creatively inclined individuals were even centuries ago.

They wrote on papyrus with pens made of feathers. They dipped in ink and wrote literature that has formed ancient archives. They had artists that painted them sitting in their royal throne then they were framed and put up in one of the most noticed niches. Colour then was also discovered that would last on paper and canvas.

Today many ideas are reclaimed from ancient Indian art and brought to light with a few brush strokes that make it look different. People still have a taste for ancient architecture and revolve their house around this theme. Many also have palates for the modern style, but a keener look and the ancient art theme in a house brings glory and uniqueness that will make it stand out against any competition.

Fashion was once considered only for the elite. As it was an expensive deal to be in vogue and stay trendy. Clothes were expensive and to colour co-ordinate them you must have cash stacked in your pocket.

But in the 21st century fashion is available to the common man. It has become inexpensive and so the fashion conscious can stay upbeat to what is in trend. This has happened with an influx of fashionable items made available in every market. Fashion in India changes with every season. Be it dresses, skirts, trousers or shirts India fashions has a taste for every palate.

But it can be surely differentiated in the villages of India, where the fashion bug has not yet bitten all. So there is a stark difference in India metro fashion and that in the remote regions.

Summers call in for whites, but whites could be ribbed cotton or printed muslin, trousers would mostly be linen with bright sandals. Add to it some long colourful necklaces, earrings and a bracelet and you can look your best.

The cream of fashion comes from Indian designers that have taken the world by storm. Designs of Ritu Kumar and Ritu Beri have walked international ramps taking India to the world. Particularly the fashions from India that are preferred the world over are the kurtis, satin shirts and linen clothes with innovative prints that nobody has seen before. The best part being they look good on Indian skin implicating that the materials and colours can enhance further the white skin.

Fashion designing in India had always been there and has churned out some of the best Indian fashion designers like Wendell Rodricks, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra and a host of other designers. With their success in the market more and more students have taken fashion designing seriously and have registered at India fashion schools like National Institute of design, National Institute of Fashion Technology, JD Institute of Fashion designing. Women oriented colleges like Nirmala Niketan and Sophia College too have diplomas in fashion designing. These a few renowned Indian Institute of fashion designing.

Once you complete your diploma, you get placements in well recognised fashion outlets. You could design for kids, children or adults. The options are vast and with the increasing number of fashion conscious people you meet you will realise that more and more fashion designers are wanted.

The history of India dates back to the time when humans as tribals existed. The world was one huge country then, but due to the volcanic eruptions large masses were separated. Over decades of volcanoes surfacing, the plates of the earth separated themselves forming 5 huge masses what we today call continents.

India lies in the Asian Continent, one of the biggest continents in the world that was invaded by many kings bringing along with them paraphernalia of religion, customs and traditions. History of ancient India can be visible through the Mohanjadaro and Harappa ruins. The Aryans that invaded through the north happened during the vedic periods. It is during this time that Hinduism was born and spread.

The history of Buddhism in India began with king Ashoka. He spread Buddhism and it was during his reign that maximum numbers were converted to Buddhism. So strong was the influence that it spread outside the country to other parts of the Asian continent.

Islam entered somewhere in the eighth century with kings like Lodhis, Tughlaqs and most powerful of them all – the Mughal empire. They were in power for many generations and thus spread Islam as far and wide as they could.

Wars were an integral part of life in ancient India. So if not within the country outsiders were always invading our country. It began with the Dutch, followed by the French and the Portuguese and ultimately by the British.

The English won over many parts on India at major battles of Panipat, Plassey and Panipat. They spread their reign from the north of the country to the south, from the east to the west. The British East India company was formed and the English squeezed out as much as they could from the Indian soil during their reign that lasted for over a century.

Indian history has been imprinted by blood stains of the freedom fighters, marksmen of the Shivaji and Mughal era and an influx of various cultures and traditions.