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Overview
India's process of development since 1947 has been
accompanied by significant social changes and an increasing awareness about
issues affecting the poor, the women and the children in India. This period has
also seen the burgeoning of the voluntary movement in India and the
establishment of several non governmental organizations to protect and promote
the interests of women and children.
The Government has made constant attempts to promote
values like democracy, freedom from discrimination, self-reliance and
independence of thought. It has also tried to improve the lot of the poor and
weaker sections of society. Women and children have figured prominently in the
government's agenda of social reforms and initiatives.
Today, India is working towards a society where the
poor, marginalized and underprivileged have equal opportunities in all spheres
of life. Partnership and collective action by the voluntary agencies, government
and other like-minded institutions and individuals have been the key to a
meaningful thrust in this direction.
National Anthem
The song, Jana-gana-mana, composed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore was
adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24
January, 1950. Hindi is the official language with English as the associate and
link language. Numerous other languages and dialects are used in various parts
of the country of which 18 languages are recognised in the Constitution.
Cultural and Social Diversity
India's cultural and social diversity is all-pervading and yet a harmonious
balance permeates throughout the social fabric. Social attitudes are often based
on traditional beliefs, religious adherence and through interaction with modern
social and political concepts
India is a secular country. Hindus form the largest community followed by the
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis. Seventy percent of the
Indian people live in villages with agriculture or agro-based small industry
providing the major occupation. With the large industrial cities and urban
centres coming up, a new middle class and a new working class have emerged where
the social and cultural order is different and pluralistic.
Creative Arts
In creative arts, India's sculpture, architecture and painting have had a
rich history. The cave architecture of Ajanta and the cavewall paintings of
Ajanta and Ellora, the temples of Khajuraho, the Mughal and Rajasthani paintings
and the Taj Mahal are but a few examples of India's cultural heritage. The
history of accomplishments in dance, drama and music is equally formidable and
impressive. The classical dances still thrive in India, especially in its major
forms-the Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak and Manipuri.
Traditional crafts and textiles have been equally famous from times ancient.
They also served to carry forward myths, legends, motifs and other aspects of a
culture peculiar to a region. Some famous examples of the craft and art are the
warp-weft type of dyeing as seen in textiles from Orissa (Ikkat), embroidery
from Bengal (Baluchari), Banarasi silk-brocade from Varanasi.
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Literature
The literary tradition of India consists of the greet body of Sanskrit,
Prakrit and Pali literature. The Samhitas and Upanishads represent great works
of literature, sociology, philosophy and religion. The treatises on medicine,
science, mathematics etc. of this period are also significant. Of the epic
literature, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are the foremost examples.
Descendants of Sanskrit language like Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi have
also produced great literary works during mediaeval period.
The Dravidian group of languages, like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam
have had their share of outstanding literary works of the past, like the Kurals,
the Kaviraja-marga, Ramacharitram and Mahabharata of Nannaya.
Much of ancient Indian fiction consists of folk tales, which have been
narrated from generation to generation. These represent myths, legends, stories
of adventure, anecdotes and jokes and are often intended for moral edification.
There is a rich reservoir of literature which grew up during the Muslim period,
mostly on royal dynasties, history, travelogue, legal systems and mystical
philosophy.
With the introduction of Western and English education in India, many Indians
started to write in English. Their literary work covered wide areas, from
fiction to poetry, philosophy, sociology, history, drama, biography and art.
Great works written in different Indian languages, have been highly acclaimed
and have won laurels all over the world, including award of the Nobel prize in
literature for the famous book of poems, Geetanjali by Rabindranath Tagore.
Dress
There is no strict uniformity in dress, the styles varying from province to
province and from community to community. In the North, men wear a loose type of
pyjama and kurta or shirt, while in the South and the East they use dhotis. Most
women usually wear the sari, but the way it is worn varies from place to place.
In India as elsewhere, certain customs are observed in social matters. When
people are introduced to each other they usually say "Namaste," which
is the most common form of greeting. The same form is used at parting as well.
Both the hands are joined and raised in greeting. Some people also shake hands
and use the English form of greeting like "Good Morning," "Good
Afternoon" and "Good Evening." Women do not generally shake
hands.
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