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India, officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.Flag of India
Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The "Ashoka Chakra" in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.
National anthem
JANA GANA MANA BY VARIOUS ARTISTS
"Jana Gana Mana " (Bengali: জন গণ মন, Sanskrit: जन गण मन) is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritised (Tatsama) Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung in Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911. "Jana Gana Mana" was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on 24 January 1950. 27 December 2011 marked the completion of 100 years of Jana Gana Mana since it was sung for the first time. A formal rendition of the national anthem takes fifty-two seconds.
National song
Vande Mataram (Bengali script: বন্দে মাতরম্; Hindi/Sanskrit: वन्दे मातरम्; Tamil: வந்தே மாதரம்;Telugu : "వందే మాతరం"; Vande Mātaram "I bow to thee, Mother") is a poem from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1882 novel Anandamath. It was written in Bengali and Sanskrit.
VANDE MATARAM BY A. R. RAHMAN
It is a hymn to Goddess Durga, identified as the national personification of India. It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
In 1950 (after India's independence), the song's first two verses were given the official status of the "national song" of the Republic of India, distinct from the national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana.
Incredible India
Two distinctive features of India are its vastness and variety. Because of its vastness; it is often called a sub-continent. Its size is twenty times that of Great Britain and it is as large as Europe excluding Russia. The population of some of the states is more than that of many important countries of the world. It presents one of the most remarkable arrays of geographical, climatic and attendant economic features with racial, linguistic and religious differences.
One is puzzled at her many contrasting features such as the splendours of her temples, mosques and tombs, alongside the squalor of her villages, the intellectual brilliance of the educated men and women at the top, alongside ignorance and superstition of the majority of people. The tribes living within kilometers of Rabindranath Tagore's last residence, Santi Niketan had no idea whatsoever about Gitanjali or the Nobel Prize he had won. When Tagore was being awarded Nobel Prize for Literature, the Santhals living around Santi Niketan were still at the food gathering stage.
Diversity in Physical Features :
Apart form vastness with threefold natural division its variety is partly due to its geography and physical features. The differences in altitude, climate, temperature, rainfall, flora and fauna are remarkable. The temperature of the country varies from the eternal snowy mountains to the scorching heat of the Rajasthan desert. The rainfall varies from 7.5 cms to 1200 cms per year. The country contains an arid desert as well as fertile plains. There are rivers, which flow throughout the year. India offers all the three types of climate - the Polar, the Temperate and the Tropical. There are areas which experience the extreme heat of summer as well as the biting cold of the winter.India is a vast country, with lot of cultural and geographical diversities. This has resulted in a number of different languages spoken across the country. Some of these languages are accepted nationally, while others are accepted as dialects of particular regions. All these languages originated from the great languages of the past, with most of them belonging to several major linguistic families, like Indo-Aryan (spoken by 70% Indians), Dravidian languages (spoken by 22% Indians), Austro-Asiatic languages and Tibeto-Burman linguistic languages.
The physical divisions have led to differences in flora and fauna, animals and vegetables. The flora and fauna here include almost all known varieties. If the Sunderbans of Bengal is famous for the Royal Bengal Tiger, the forest of Malwas is known for its breed of lions.
Within the three natural physical divisions of India, again, there have been subdivisions created by physical barriers, which have stood on the way of regional unity and affected the course of history. The great Thar desert intervening between the plains of the Indus and the valley of the Ganga has practically converted these two regions into two separate units. This has been detrimental to the unity of India.
Racial Diversity:
It is a arduous task to construct a systematic ethnography of the teeming millions of Indian population. Different ethnic groups came to India as invaders, mingled with the Indian population and developed their own civilization and language. India contains a large variety of human types. The three primary broad types of mankind such as the Caucasian or white type, the Mongolian or yellow type and the Ethiopian or black type are found in India. As per the 1901 census the following eight different ethnic groups are found here.
1. Pre-Dravidian 2. Dravidian 3. Indo-Aryan
4. Turko-lranian 5. Scytho-Dravidian 6. Arya-Dravidian
7. Mongoloid 8. Mongoloid-Dravidian
It is difficult to assume that this vast subcontinent was once a vaccuum and the races have migrated into this ethnological paradise from faraway places. There have never been attempts to ascertain how far India bred her own races.
Linguistic Diversity:
The ethnological differences gave rise to a large number of languages. The linguistic survey of India records as many as 179 languages and 544 dialects. Among the Dravidian languages, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam are popular. Similarly, among the north Indian languages, Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati, Punjabi, and Urdu are prominent. The Constitution of India recognizes 18 languages in the country. Many foreign languages like Arabic ad Persian are also in use.
There is no such thing as the Indian language. By some counts there are over 200 languages in India (almost 1600, if you include dialects), with about twenty of them being very prominent ones. Imagine a nation where the population does not understand their national anthem or the President's address to the nation. That is India for you.
Languages of India
Assamese A language of Assam that's spoken by nearly 60 percent of the State's population.
Bengali An official language of West Bengal, now spoken by nearly 200 million people in West Bengal and in Bangladesh.
Bodo It is the language spoken by the Bodo people of Assam and comes under the Assam-Burmese group of languages
Dogri Mainly spoken by the people of Jammu region
Gujarati It is the official language of Gujarat. 70 percent of the State's population speak Gujrathi but it the most spread language not only in India but also abroad.
Hindi The official language of India, accent and dialect differs with different regions but almost every Indian has a working knowledge of Hindi. It is written in a Devanagiri script.
Kannada A language of Karnataka and is spoken by 65 percent of the state's population. It belongs to the Dravidian family.
Kashmiri Though the language is mistaken as a state language of Kashmir only 55 per cent of the state's population speak Kashmiri.
Konkani Spoken in the Konkan region stretched across Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
Maithili Mostly spoken in the parts of Bihar and the eastern Terai region of Nepal
Malayalam The state language of Kerala. It is the youngest of all developed languages in the Dravidian family.
Manipuri/Meitei official language of state of Manipur.
Marathi An official language of Maharashtra. It has a fully developed literature of the modern type.
Nepali The official language of Nepal, it is also spoken in some north eastern parts of India
Oriya A branch of the Indo-Aryan family, is the official language of the State of Orissa.
Punjabi The official language of the State of Punjab. It is written in Gurmukhi script, created by the Sikh Guru, Angad.
Sanskrit The classical language of India that has lost it's value in the modern world. It is also one of the oldest languages in the world- perhaps the oldest to be recorded. All the ancient scripts are found to be written in the same language.
Santhali Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa)
Sindhi Is spoken by a great number of people in the Northwest frontier of the Indian sub-continent comprising parts of India and Pakistan.
Tamil The State language of Tamil Nadu. Tamil literature goes back to Centuries before the Christian era and is spoken by more than 73 million people. It belongs to the Dravidian language family.
Telugu A language of Andhra Pradesh. It is numerically the biggest linguistic unit in India.
Urdu The state language of Jammu and Kashmir and is spoken by more than 28 million people in India. Urdu and Hindi have proceeded from the same source. Urdu is written in the Persio - Arabic script and contains many words from the Persian language.
There is no such thing as the Indian language. By some counts there are over 200 languages in India (almost 1600, if you include dialects), with about twenty of them being very prominent ones. Imagine a nation where the population does not understand their national anthem or the President's address to the nation. That is India for you.
The Indian currency is printed in 15 languages.
Most forms (like job application, tax forms) in India are hence printed in three languages -- English, Hindi, and a prominent local language.
Assamese A language of Assam that's spoken by nearly 60 percent of the State's population.
Bengali An official language of West Bengal, now spoken by nearly 200 million people in West Bengal and in Bangladesh.
Bodo It is the language spoken by the Bodo people of Assam and comes under the Assam-Burmese group of languages
Dogri Mainly spoken by the people of Jammu region
Gujarati It is the official language of Gujarat. 70 percent of the State's population speak Gujrathi but it the most spread language not only in India but also abroad.
Hindi The official language of India, accent and dialect differs with different regions but almost every Indian has a working knowledge of Hindi. It is written in a Devanagiri script.
Kannada A language of Karnataka and is spoken by 65 percent of the state's population. It belongs to the Dravidian family.
Kashmiri Though the language is mistaken as a state language of Kashmir only 55 per cent of the state's population speak Kashmiri.
Konkani Spoken in the Konkan region stretched across Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
Maithili Mostly spoken in the parts of Bihar and the eastern Terai region of Nepal
Malayalam The state language of Kerala. It is the youngest of all developed languages in the Dravidian family.
Manipuri/Meitei official language of state of Manipur.
Marathi An official language of Maharashtra. It has a fully developed literature of the modern type.
Nepali The official language of Nepal, it is also spoken in some north eastern parts of India
Oriya A branch of the Indo-Aryan family, is the official language of the State of Orissa.
Punjabi The official language of the State of Punjab. It is written in Gurmukhi script, created by the Sikh Guru, Angad.
Sanskrit The classical language of India that has lost it's value in the modern world. It is also one of the oldest languages in the world- perhaps the oldest to be recorded. All the ancient scripts are found to be written in the same language.
Santhali Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa)
Sindhi Is spoken by a great number of people in the Northwest frontier of the Indian sub-continent comprising parts of India and Pakistan.
Tamil The State language of Tamil Nadu. Tamil literature goes back to Centuries before the Christian era and is spoken by more than 73 million people. It belongs to the Dravidian language family.
Telugu A language of Andhra Pradesh. It is numerically the biggest linguistic unit in India.
Urdu The state language of Jammu and Kashmir and is spoken by more than 28 million people in India. Urdu and Hindi have proceeded from the same source. Urdu is written in the Persio - Arabic script and contains many words from the Persian language.
Religious Diversity:
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All the main religions of the world are found here along with religions which are born here. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Sikhism etc. have adherents in India. All these religions have grown freely along with their sects. Many beliefs, superstitions, dogmas, cults and gods and goddesses are worshipped here. Hinduism, the religion of the majority has a number of cults and creeds as Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shaktism, Tantricism, Ganapatya cult, Sun cult etc. There have been religious reformers like Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya who have preached synthesis of religions. The primitive tribes have their own religions. Various fairs and festivals are also observed in different parts of the country. Even the Hindus differ widely in respect of observance of fairs and festivals.
Political Diversity:
The political history of India resolves itself into separate histories of the regions. Local and regional chauvinism always led rulers to fight among themselves. The lack of unity among the Indian rulers encouraged invaders to attack India. During the later Vedic period, north India was divided into a number of Janapadas, among which 16 Mahajanapadas figure prominently. Some of the regions like the extreme south never came under northern rule and always remained independent under local dynasties. Even in the face of foreign invasion or a common enemy the Indian rulers did not unite. There has never been a strong central government ruling over the entire country with a singli administrative system. Glorification of local rulers has always encouraged separatist tendencies. Internal dissension and foreign invasions were chiefly responsible for political disunity and fragmentation of the country.
The marked distinction between north India and south India dominated the political history of the country. Each of these regions frequently achieved political unity though unity between the two of the regions was rendered more difficult. The people of south India always abhorred the north and protested under the slightest pretext.
Certain regions have always waged heroic struggles for independence against heavy odds. The Rajputs, the Sikhs and the Marathas for example have always fought against the imperial power of Delhi. This was as much due to the nature of their land as to the bravery of the people.
The physical features, natural barriers and strategic positions almost made some kingdoms, small or big, little worlds by themselves. An Indian ruler, inspite of his potentials and ambition, had the least temptation for conquering the comparatively unknown regions beyond the high hills and seas. During the days when scientific knowledge and modern means of communication were lacking it took months for the army to reach the frontiers. Even the news of revolts in border provinces reached the rulers after weeks or even months. Today we have unifying factors like the Indian Railways, the Indian Airlines, the Posts and Telegraphs and such other symbols of national unity, which did not exist in the past.
Cultural Diversity:
The variations in climatic condition, land structure and political set-up have resulted in considerable differences in dress, food habit and social customs and practices. The dress of the people of Rajasthan due to heat is bound to differ from that of the people of Kashmir due to cold. The people of the south under Saivite influence put sandal marks on their forehead whereas the people of the north under the influence of Vaishnavism were more liberal and catholic. The Hindu society as such is divided into a number of castes or varnas with well-defined functions for each Varna.
A modern writer, who has attempted a vivid portrayal of the diversities in India says, "Everybody looks different and dresses differently. Complexions range from white to black coffee, nose for Biblical spurs to Mongolian pugs; some people are very tall, others very; short. Dress, like a botanical classification, reveals the exact identity of the bearer, his or her religion, caste, region and occupation. The variety is endless."
Culture is the combination of people’s languages, their food, religion, family values, dressing, behaviors and it is common thing in different peoples in certain area. If you know the India history then it is clear that Indians always have the unique and very rich cultural values from the world. History of India has played very important role in the development of India culture of today. Indian culture has different aspects and each can be identified individually.
Tourists who are coming to India are always amazed by personally observing the India culture there is a huge population in India and so much diversity. Still one thing that is common in these millions of peoples is their culture and love for their culture. India is the best place in the world to see the different cultures from modern to ancient and find the similarities in these diversified cultures.
You can see that each Indian city has a different culture values but their basics are same which creates the larger culture of India. Tourist came here to know about the history of India and get the detailed knowledge by visiting historical places which are in numbers. India history is one of the most rich and interesting in world. A lot of history students visit different Indian cities to get the in depth knowledge about India culture and its history. You have to visit the different cities to know about the India history and actual cultural values of India. Some of the must visit cities to observe Indian culture are Rajasthan, Jaipur, Goa, Kerela, Varanasi, Haridwar, Delhi and Agra. By visiting these places you can see the diverse India culture and tradition of people. Every place has its own customs, food, dressing, religion and art. Tourist can enjoy their vacations in India by relaxing visiting different places and by knowing the culture of Indian people.
Unity In Diversity
India being the largest democracy in the world with a civilization more than five thousand years old boasts of multiple cultural origins. The cultural origins of the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilizations, the remains of which are cherished even today. Since the late 16th century India was under the influence of the British Empire until 15th August 1947 the day when India gained independence. India is a land of diverse cultures, religions and communities. There is great diversity in our traditions, manners, habits, tastes and customs. Each and every region of the country portrays different customs and traditions. But though we speak different languages yet we are all Indians. 'Unity in Diversity' has been the distinctive feature of our culture. To live peacefully has been our motto and this motto has helped us to achieve independence. As history tells us that there has been active participation from people of different caste and religion. In our struggle for freedom people from different communities participated keeping one thing in mind that they all are Indians first. But unfortunately this peace and understanding among different communities has been endangered lately. India at present is facing many problems. The biggest of these is the problem of communalism. In their personal fight they are destroying their life only. In fact, it is the biggest threat to humanity and to the unity and integrity of the country..PNG)
People from different background and culture participated in India's struggle for freedom. The national leaders, particularly Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Azad and Bose had coined the slogan unity in diversity There are numerous others who were also involved. Be it Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain and Sikhs everybody had a single identity of being an Indian. It should be understood that all of us have multiple identities religious, linguistic, cultural, regional and caste identities. No one can claim single identity. One who demands single identity i.e. national identity does not recognize the reality but during India's struggle for freedom no one thought in that manner they just thought of India's independence. Modern India presents a picture of unity in diversity where people of different faiths and beliefs live together in peace and harmony. Still today also India remains one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world.
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