India

The Republic of India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. India has a coastline which stretches over seven thousand kilometres,{{inote|see Indian embassy|i-1}} and shares its borders with Pakistan to the west, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on the east. On the Indian Ocean, it is adjacent to the island nations of the Maldives on the southwest, Sri Lanka on the south, and Indonesia on the southeast. India also claims a border with Afghanistan to the northwest.{{mn|afgh|1}}

Culture

Main article: Culture of India

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India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has managed to preserve its established traditions throughout history. It has always absorbed customs, traditions and ideas from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices, languages, customs and even monuments are examples of this co-mingling over centuries. Famous monuments such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture have been inherited from the Mughal dynasty, perhaps India's most significant. These are the result of a syncretic tradition that combined elements from all parts of the country.

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Indian society is largely pluralist, multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. Traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.

Related Topics:
Multicultural - Nuclear family - Joint family

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Religion in India is very public, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. A melting pot of many religions, India has a rich diversity of festivals with many being celebrated by one and all. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, and Dussehra. Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Onam in Kerala are harvest festivals celebrated by people belonging to all religions.

Related Topics:
Festivals - Diwali - Holi - Dussehra - Pongal - Tamil Nadu - Onam - Kerala

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Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main forms in terms of classical music are the Karnataka Sangeeth (Carnatic) from South India and Hindustani from the north. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. Many dance forms exist in India – Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Yakshagana and others. They often have a narrative form (based on the Indian epics) and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.

Related Topics:
Indian music - Classical music - Karnataka Sangeeth - Carnatic - South India - Hindustani - Filmi music - Dance forms - Bharatanatyam - Odissi - Kathakali - Kuchipudi - Kathak - Manipuri - Mohiniyattam - Yakshagana - Indian epics

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The earliest literary traditions were mostly oral and were later transcribed. Most of these spring from Indian tradition (which is later called Hindu tradition) and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest secular traditions. There have been many notable Indian writers in modern times, both in Indian languages and in English. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.

Related Topics:
Literary traditions - Hindu - Vedas - Mahabharatha - Ramayana - Sangam - Tamil Nadu - And in English - Nobel laureate in literature - Bengali - Rabindranath Tagore

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India produces the world's highest number of films every year. The most recognisable face is that of cinema production based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films, often referred to as "Bollywood". Cinema in other vernacular languages are also particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industries. India's contribution to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali language director Satyajit Ray.

Related Topics:
Films - Mumbai - Hindi - Bollywood - Kannada - Malayalam - Tamil - Telugu - Bengali language - Satyajit Ray

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Rice and wheat (in bread forms) are the staple foods in the country. The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods all vary from region to region. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian . Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The sari and the salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti.

Related Topics:
Rice - Wheat - Cuisine of India - Vegetarian - Traditional dress - Sari - Salwar kameez - Kurta - Dhoti

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