India is a fascinating country commonly known for its great diversity. Culture is the lifestyle of the people of any country. It is what defines a group of people and distinguishes them from others. Indian culture is so different that it differs from one another but co-exists at the same time. “In a culture divided into so many communities, almost everyone is other”. (Joshi, 2001). The culture of India is rich and very well known for its food, marriage, unfair treatment to women.
Indian culture is the heart of India as is a way of life for many natives. The influence of the cultural aspects expands beyond their society. Understanding the values, ethics, and principles is very important to the people in India. The variety of the culture and societies indicates the great diversity of this great nation. An interesting aspect of the culture is food. The Indian cuisine is widely known and acknowledged internationally for its sweet and spicy flavors. Different types of basic spices in India include masala, garam masala, and rice with grain. Indian cook blend spices in several different ways.
They also have specific rules in dining, serving food generally according to hierarchy. “The food is rich with curries and other spices”. (Zimmermann, 2017). Indian food is categorized using spices and other vegetables. Each family in Indian includes a wide assortment of dishes, and cooking techniques. Religious beliefs have a huge influence on the food culture. However, the culinary arts have evolved across India as a result of the large scale of cultural interaction. (Stewart, 2006) In such a multi-faceted land you are able to find rich and flavory food. The spices and many different condiments that Indians add to their food, shows exactly why their food stands out from others.
India tradition has always been to welcome different streams. Traditions have been followed from generation to generation. Many of these traditions have been around for thousands of years. “India’s society is deeply rooted in religion, language, and traditions”. (Haub, 2006). Indian cherish traditions and is a wisdom that is passed throughout all the generations. Managing to preserve the unity ant true ethnicity. One of the most well know traditions in India is the arrange marriage. (Shashank 2018) states that arrange marriages is a tradition that continues to grow within the Indian culture. Arranging a marriage is the responsibility of Indian parents and other family members of both bride and groom.
A wedding is one of the greatest events in a family. Some marriage arrangements may begin for a child even before birth. “ For thousands of years, fathers in India have arranged the marriages of their children”. (Gardiner, 2015). The bride’s family usually host most of the ceremonies. In India if a female is not married at a certain age it is considered a shame for the whole family. The wedding rituals may vary, one of the main rituals that remains unchanged is a father gifts his daughter, holding hand near the fire; the groom takes the bride’s hand as sign of their union. Marriage celebration India usually last a week long. A wedding is almost a festival the atmosphere creates harmony and joy to the family. Guest and family gather together to go to the bride’s home in a procession.
The lavish and colorful ceremony is very extravagant, some families pay fortunes for this memorable event. Father of the bride is responsible for providing a gift that go together with the bride as she moves in to her new house. It is also a custom for people to throw money in the air that is collected by the poor people and men playing in the band. For Indians marriage is considered an important factor to their society. Although arranged marriage is an old tradition the evolution of time has corrected it. Now days in India a girl and boy are asked whether they agree to get marry. The numbers of divorce in India is extremely low compared to other countries.
Women play a significant role in every culture. Indian women have fighter for equality for quite some time. They have managed to progress as time progress. The status of women in India has been subject to great changes for the past years. Being no strangers to discriminations for example women that marry outside of their race have been discriminated against causing them to lose the Indian citizenship. Females in India are treated as secondary citizens, being slightly educated, with poorly training for any type of professions. “The role of women in Indian society is too often viewed as a kind of liability”. (Poverties, 2017). The Economist, 2018 refers to fewer women out working and maintaining the traditions of being housewives. In modern India women have a little notable, influence and are more prepare educational wise.
Many challenges have yet to be overcome before women would be acknowledged in India. Being a woman in the Indian society can be said to be a cursed. Women in India face many social issues and problems. They are considered a burden for their parents and husband’s because they think women are there to consume money. Indian women have been categorized inferior than men. Facing a lot of challenges such as child bearing, family care roles, and malnutrition. The sex ratio of India shows that the society is still prejudiced against females. Women are not breastfed long and seeking a baby boy, women get pregnant faster. Females are not given the proper medical attention, which results in malnutrition. Getting married at a very young age leads to pregnancy at a time when their body is not fully developed, resulting in child birth complications.
Women are not given the right to freely move anywhere, without the permission of a male member of the family. This means that they miss regular doctors’ checkups. Education for Indian women is also a deep subject that has prevail through time. According to medieval perception, women need to just household education this perception keep on in many Indian villages today. Girls are supposed to fulfill domestic responsibilities and education becomes secondary. This has changed in urban areas where the women are opting for a higher education. One of the main reasons for girls not going to school is the poor economic condition. Another reason is that many of the schools are located far, being that most of the Indians still live in small villages.
The lack of education is the root of many problems. Now days the educational and occupational pattern has changed. Today, women in India are aware of their rights and privileges, bring politically, socially, being economically not backward anymore. In the modern era Indian women have managed to produce great leaders from many different professions. However women are still exploited and abused. Even highly educated women who reside in urban areas cannot spend their money as they will like. A husband has far superior position over the wife and it is the husband that makes all major decisions in the household. The men have gradually changed their attitude towards women working yet have not change their minds on a women’s rights to spend their own money.
Most of the females in India contribute to the economy of the household. Since Indian culture hinders women’s access to jobs in the public sector, they seek jobs at the informal sector. Such jobs as domestic servants, artisan, and family farms. These jobs are low paid, and unskilled, which do not provide employer benefits. In Indian culture women are expected to be devoted, contributing a larger share of the earning to their families. Conditions of working women in India have somewhat improved in recent years, despite that they still find themselves dependent on men. Their hard work as housewives and working women still goes unrecognized and undervalued. Present status of women in India must further improved. It cannot be achieved unless the women come forward raising their voices against social and male arrogance.
In conclusion the Indian culture and its women is a broad topic among the people in India. In a nation where is mainly prevalent by men little but great change has been accomplished. The influence of the culture and traditions is very impressive. Unity and diversity are beyond limits, at the same time it is so amazing how this nation could maintain unity being so different in many ways. Indian culture will never seize to amaze you and let you find something new. From its history to the background of the culture everything seems to be so intriguing. Therefore, the Indian culture is unique and has a multitude of practices.
References
- Bukhari, H., & Haq, I. (2017, 12). The child bride. Southasia, 21, 48-49. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com
- Haul, C (2006). India’s Population Reality: Reconciling Change and Tradition. Retrieved from http://ebsco.com
- Joshi, M (2001). Passport India: your pocket guide to Indian business, customs and etiquette. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
- Poverties (2017). Gender Roles & Status of women in Indian Society: Women’s Rights. Retrieved from http://www.poverties.org
- Shashank, B (2018). Single women in Indian face humiliation, scorn; nearly 3,000 tell of the indignities in a new book. Retrieved from http://searchproquest.com
- Stewart, S. L. (2006, Oct 11). The art of Indian cooking; Indian cuisine is more than food — it’s tradition. The Tuscaloosa News Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com
- Gardiner, H. (2015, Apr 25). Marriage sites put traditions to test in India. New York Times Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com
- The Economist (2018). How India fails its women. Retrieved from https://store.eiu.com
- Zimmerman (2017). Indian culture Traditions and Customs Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com
