INDIA

Fast Facts 2 nd largest population in the world with 1.1 billion people Over 200 languages are spoken, mostly based on an ancient language called Sanskrit, although English & Hindi are the official languages Was a colony of Britain, but became its own country in 1947

The capitol city is New Delhi The government is a Parliamentary democracy Hinduism is the most common religion Has one of the fastest growing economies in the world

Rupee = 3 ¢

Music The 2 main traditional types of music are Carnatic & Hindustani Music is most often sung & may be accompanied by instruments Dance is an essential part of much of the music Many traditional instruments are still played including: ektara, sitar & vichitra veena

Clothing

Sari = a long piece of fabric that is wound around the body & can also be used to cover the head, worn by women along with a tightly fitted short blouse called a choli

Salwar kameez = long tunic reaching to the knees or ankles, worn by men & women

Dhoti = long piece of material wrapped around the legs & drawn up between the legs, worn by men

Turban = long piece of cloth wrapped around the head, worn by men

Indian Wedding The bride wears a sari of red or red & white The groom wears kafni (long shirt to the knees) with pijammo (leggings) & a turban

The bride may decorate her hands & feet with mehndi (henna)

Animals Royal Bengal tiger Asian elephant Langur (monkey) Peacock

Royal Bengal Tiger

2 nd largest tiger in the world Lives mostly in India, Nepal & a few other countries in Asia They weigh an average of pounds & are about 9-10 feet long including the tail Usually hunt prey about 100 pounds, but will eat very small animals if hungry enough Can climb trees & swim very well

Are in danger of extinction Loss of a place to live & humans killing them for their fur & for traditional medicines are the main threats to their survival There were about 4500 known to exist just 2-3 years ago. Now there are only

Asian Elephant

Langur

Peacock

Food Rice Flat bread Curry Hot peppers Lentils

Over 100 spices are used in Indian food

Rice There are over 7000 different varieties of rice Over 1000 varieties are grown in India The best known Indian rice is Basmati rice Basmati means “queen of fragrance” because it has an irresistible aroma Basmati rice is grown at the foothills of the Himalaya mountains

Flat breads Chappati Naan

Curry

Used to flavor stew & pureed beans Blend of many different spices such as coriander, tumeric, fenugreek, cumin, red & black pepper, ginger Made fresh for each dish Comes in several different colors such as bright yellow & red

Hot Peppers

Lentils

Religion - Hinduism 2 nd oldest major religion in the world that is still being practiced, behind Judaism Began years B.C. Is the 3 rd largest religion in the world, behind Christianity & Islam Has 1 billion members, almost all in India & Nepal

Beliefs : –There is one supreme god. All other gods/goddesses are different forms of the one supreme god

–The soul is eternal & is transferred after death into a new body. Sometimes the new body is an animal. For example, after a human dies, they might be re-born as a cow. This is called reincarnation –Karma = the sum of a person’s good & bad deeds. Therefore, a person works their way into a better or worse life. This leads to the belief that wealth, fame & suffering are the result of a person’s deeds, past, present & future & in all lives –The goals of life are righteousness, success, pleasure & to escape reincarnation by becoming a part of the energy of the universe

Ganges River Located in northern India 1557 miles long The river is worshipped as a goddess There are hundreds of temples along the course of the river

Bathing in the river is believed to purify a person of their sins

A good Hindu is required to bathe in the Ganges at least once in their lifetime When a person bathes in the Ganges, water from the river is sealed into a small copper pot & kept in the person’s house Dead bodies are put in the Ganges before the funeral because the dead person’s sins are believed to be purified by the river

Kashi is a holy city located along the banks of the Ganges & is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world Kashi is full of temples & is called the “religious capitol of India”

Caste System Dividing people into different social classes based on the family one is born into Members of higher castes are treated well, are wealthy, have the best jobs & are leaders Members of lower castes are treated badly, are poor & don’t have good jobs

4 castes: –Highest are brahmins = priests –2 nd highest are kshatriyas = royalty & warriors –3 rd are vaishyas = businessmen & farmers –Lowest are shudras = unskilled laborers A 5 th group, the dalits, are considered outcasts & are known as untouchables. These people have the worst jobs, like cleaning sewers. They are not allowed to walk on certain streets, go into temples, go into some restaurants or even draw water from the well

A person is born into a caste & usually can’t leave it or marry someone from another caste A person’s caste only allows him to work at certain jobs A person from a higher caste usually doesn’t want to associate with a person from a lower caste or even touch things that belong to them

Brahmin Dalit

Taj Mahal Built in 1648 in Agra, India Was built as a burial place for the Sultan’s 3 rd wife, who he had loved very much, when she died while giving birth to her 14 th child Is a combination of Persian, Turkish, Indian & Islamic types of building styles 20,000 people & 1000 elephants were used to work on the building The estimated cost was 32 million Rupees Originally, 28 types of jewels were laid into the white marble

Citations Capodiferro, Alessandra, ed. Wonders of the World ed Vercelli: White Star S.p.A., Demas, Antonia. Food is Elementary: A Hands-On Curriculum for Young Students. New York: Food Studies, Inc.,