RELIGIONS AND CULTURE OF INDIA

RELIGIONS/SPIRITUALITY India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, a.k.a. Dharmic religions. Islam is practiced by 80% of Indians while Islam is practiced by about %13. Arranged marriages have been traditional for centuries. This is still largely followed today, though the divorce rate in India is 1.1% while it is 50% in the U.S.

HINDUISM A polytheist religion, as there are many gods. Reincarnation – a person’s spirit, or Atman inhabits a new life as one dies. What one is reincarnated as is determined by Karma. Nirvana is the state of after life, after a good enough Karma has been achieved to stop the cycle of reincarnation. A cast system with four major classes.

Sanskrit writing

The Vedas  1200 BCE-600 BCE.  written in SANSKRIT.  Hindu core of beliefs:  hymns and poems.  religious prayers.  magical spells.  lists of the gods and goddesses. Rig Veda  oldest work.

Varna (Social Hierarchy) Shudras Vaishyas Kshatriyas Pariahs [Harijan]  Untouchables Brahmins

Buddhism The “middle way of wisdom and compassion.” 2,500 year old tradition. The 3 jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, the teacher. Dharma, the teachings. Sangha, the community.

Siddhartha Gautama ( BCE)  Born  Born in NE India (Nepal).  Raised  Raised in great luxury to be a king.  At  At 29 he rejected his luxurious life to seek enlightenment and the source of suffering.  Lived  Lived a strict, ascetic life for 6 yrs.  Rejecting  Rejecting this extreme, sat in meditation, and found nirvana.  Became  Became “The Enlightened One,” at 35.

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS OF BUDDHISM 1.There is suffering in the world. To live is to suffer. (Dukkha) 2.The cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachments. (Tanha) 3.The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. (to reach Nirvana) 4.To reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path.

FOUR TYPES OF BUDDHISM Therevada Buddhism The oldest type of Buddhism, with the goal to become enlightened Mahayana Buddhism Seek guidance from the wise and teach all of humanity Tibetan Buddhism A mix of Therevada and Mahayana (Dhal Lama) Zen Buddhism Seeks sudden enlightenment through meditation

CUISINE Indian cuisine is generally considered to be very spicy, and is very popular around the world. Many traditional Indian dishes include chicken, fish, lamb, and goat (not beef because many Indians consider cows to be sacred). A significant number of Indian dishes are also vegetarian. Indian cuisine is generally categorized by region.

CLOTHING Types of clothing also traditionally varies based on region Generally influenced by local culture, geography, and climate Dress can be considered a social status Since India’s weather is hot and rainy clothes are often made of cotton and sandals are often worn. Revealing or tight cloths are largely discouraged.

PERFORMING ARTS Dance Eight dance forms have been designated as classical There are also many forms of folk dance There is also much tradition in Indian theatre and drama Most of the music of India falls under the genre of religious, classical, folk, or pop

BOLLYWOOD India has a huge film industry that is most often referred to as Bollywood, which is based out of Mumbai. The Indian film industry is considered the largest in the world in terms of films being produced and tickets being sold. There are also major film hubs in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi, and Telugu.