INDIAN CULTURE By Kate Foulds

India is among some of the world’s oldest countries and with a population of over 1.2 billion people India is currently the world’s second most populated country. India is known for it’s spices and foods, it’s architecture such as the Taj Mahal, the Hindi film industry (known as Bollywood), and much more.

FESTIVALS - HOLI One important festival in India is Holi, also known as the festival of colours or love. Holi celebrates the victory of good over evil. The celebrations start with a Holika Bonfire the night before, where people gather to sing and dance. The next morning is Holi where participants play, chase and colour each other with coloured powder and coloured water.

FOOD Indian food is heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices or traditions. Vegetarianism continues to grow as a dietary trend in Indian society because of religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism where some animals are sacred and thus not eaten. Spices are used in many Indian dishes. Spices are not only used to add flavour, but in some parts of India, spices are used to preserve food and prevent bacterial growth.

CLOTHING In India people tend to wear light weight and loose clothing because of the heat. Sari- A Sari is the stereotypical dress worn by Indian women. Dhoti- Dhoti kurta is the traditional Indian clothing of men. It is an unstitched piece of cloth that is tied around the waist and legs. Kurta - Kurta is a long loose shirt, In the olden times, it was primarily worn by men, but today, it is worn by both men and women.