Indian Culture

Background The Indian culture is as grand and exciting as it sounds. India is located in southern Asia and encompasses a variety of people and traditions. Let us take a closer look at what distinguishes the Indian culture from any other.

Customs & Traditions The Indian culture is rich in customs and traditions These traditions and customs include: - house warming ceremonies - wedding customs - naamkaran

House Warming Ceremony Griha Pravesh is a ceremony performed when one first enters the house. This may be because it is a new home, coming back from vacation or after having renovated the house. The family enters the house on a specified day according to the astrological calendar. The ceremonies include poojah’s and priests. Depending on why you are re-entering the house, there are different actions to perform.

Wedding Ceremony The wedding ceremony lasts for longer than one day and includes various traditions that need to be performed. Once a couple agrees to wed, there is a Roka that announces that the couple has found their soul mates. Next is the Sagai, which is the tikka ceremony. This is performed a week to ten days before the wedding.

Continued… The sangeet is an event that is put on by the girl’s family. Few members of the groom’s side is invited. This is a celebration with song and dance. The Mehendi is a henna ceremony. All the girls in the bridal party have henna put on their hands and choose bangles to wear. Finally the days before the wedding the bride rests with complete relaxation. The actual wedding day takes place in a designated venue. The bride’s side welcomes the groom’s side, known as the baarat

Naamkaran The naamkaran is a naming ceremony that takes place 12 days after the day of birth. This is mostly a women’s ceremony. They place the child in a cradle while everyone gathers around singing traditional songs and dancing. Children’s names are based on Hindu Raashis because it is considered auspicious.

Classical Indian Dances The Bhangra began as a dance to celebrate the harvest. Movements of the dance are suppose to depict the cycle of plouging, sowing, and reaping. Kathak is a North Indian classical dance. In ancient times, storytellers used mime and gesture for dramatic effect. This eventually evolved into a dance form.

Conclusion The Indian culture is full of variety and diversity. Traditions and cultures are different from what we are used to. Hopefully with our presentation you’ve gotten a better glimpse of an unfamiliar world. Information provided by: