• History of India

• Languages

• Religion

• Festivals

• Bollywood

• Dress

• Food

• Summary

• India lies across the Tropic of Cancer

• It is multicultural with a rich diversity of languages and traditions

• On August 15, 1947 India gained independence

• It is the home to many religions, for example Hinduism, Islam etc.

• India has borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh

• Hindi is spoken by 40% of the population

• While Hindi is the official language, English is the working language of many workers

• Assamese is the state language of Assam

• Marathi is a language that dates back to the 13th century

• Urdu is the state language of Jammu and Kashmir, and is used by the majority of Muslims in India

• India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Sikhism

• Religion is a everyday way of life

• All major events are celebrated in a religious context

• While each religious community has it's own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and even culinary specialties, there are many places of worship

MAJOR RELIGIONS OF INDIA

Hinduism 82%

Islam 12%

Sikhism 2%

Christianity 2%

Buddhism 0.8%

Jainism 0.4%

Two main Festivals of India

• Holi - Festival of ColourA spring harvesting festival, Holi is celebrated with gaiety and wild abandon

• Diwali - Festival of LightDiwali or Deepaavali means an Array of Lamps. This is one of the major festivals in the Hindu calendar

• A spring festival, usually celebrated in March

• Holi also celebrates Krishna, and the legend of Holika and Prahalad

• Although Holi has religious roots there are few religious things to do

• A very exuberant festival, with dancing, singing, and throwing of paint

• Holi features gender rivalry, with contests between men and women, and public flirting

• Diwali is one of the most vibrant and colourful globally celebrated festivals by the Hindus, Sikhs and Jains

• The name 'Diwali' has been derived from a Sanskrit word (the ancient Hindu scripture) called 'Deepavali'

• 'Deepa' meaning 'light' and 'Avali' meaning 'row' which literally means 'row of lights‘

• Hence the essence of Diwali is often referred to as the 'festival of lights'

• This auspicious celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas means to Christians

• The first exposure to motion pictures which India received was in 1896

• The first Indian film with sound was directed by Ardershir Irani, and was released on March 14, 1931

• Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world.

• Indian dressing styles are marked with wide choice of textures and styles

• The sari, is elegant and increasingly becoming a fashion statement in urban India

• Western dressing styles are increasingly gaining popularity among the urban youth

• The fashion industry is currently growing at a fast rate

• Most Indian cuisines are related by similiar usage of spices

• There is an enormous variety of local styles

• Kashmiri and Mughlai cuisines show strong central Asian influences • Indian food is very popular in the Western world

• India is multicultural with a rich diversity of languages and traditions

• Hindi is spoken by 40% of the population

• India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Sikhism • Holi and Diwali are the main religious festivals in India

• The first exposure to motion pictures which India received was in 1896

• The fashion industry is currently growing at a fast rate

• Indian food is very popular in the Western world