India Arts Week 2010

Where is India? India is part of the continent of Asia. It has a long coastline and is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Nearby countries are Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh.

What is India like? India is the seventh largest country in the world and has over 1.18 billion people living there. The capital city is New Dehli. Its currency is rupees and paisa. It is the worlds largest democracy- bigger even than the USA. It has been divided up into lots of different states which are ruled over by different groups of people- although there is a central government.

What IS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN India? India is a very diverse country, some people are very rich but others are very poor. Some of the slums in India One of the Indian palaces

What is it like in the countryside? Although a lot of people live in the towns and cities, farming is still very important. The people that live in the country are often poorer than the ones in the towns and cities because they don’t make a lot of money from farming.

How diverse is India? We can see how India is made up of lots of different groups of people by looking at its flag. Each colour has two meanings. Saffron- represents the Hindu population and also stands for courage and sacrifice. Green- represents the Muslim population and also stands for faith and fertility White- represents peace and unity and the idea that Muslims and Hindus can live in harmony. Blue- symbolises the sky and the ocean.

Symbols of India The Tiger is the national animal of India, it is respected for its strength and grace. The Peacock is the national bird of India. It symbolises grace, pride and beauty. It often appears in Indian stories and myths. The national flower is the Lotus, it represents long life, honour and good fortune. It is also associated with the Hindu religion, a major religion in India. The mango is the national fruit of India, there are over 100 different varieties that grow there.

The River Ganges The river Ganges flows through India and is very important to Indian culture, belief and everyday life. The Ganges is very important to Hindu’s- many Hindu’s believe that the Ganges is a sacred river and often they will have vial of water from the Ganges in their home. The river is also important to daily life as many people bathe in it and wash their clothes in its water.

Quick Quiz 1.Roughly how many people live in India? 2.What does the white on the Indian flag represent? 3.What are two of the main religions in India? 4.What is the national animal of India? 5.What is the name of the special river that flows through India?