essay on showing how indian culture is environment friendly

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Why indigenous communities are the key to india’s sustainable future.

By Sadaan Ahmad Khan and  Tejas Pande East Mojo July 28, 2023

Living primarily in forest, mountainous and hilly areas, Adivasis have developed a profound understanding of their natural surroundings and have traditionally relied on sustainable practices that harmonise with the environment.

In the rich tapestry of India’s diverse cultural landscape, indigenous communities, often referred to as Adivasis, play a vital role in protecting India’s rich biodiversity. As we celebrate World Nature Conservation Day, it is important to recognize the role that indigenous communities have been playing in conserving and creating deep connections with the environment.

Read the full article here.    

What India can teach the world about sustainability

India's rural communities can teach us much about sustainable living Image:  REUTERS/Amit Dave

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Stay up to date:, sustainable development.

We are starting to witness the penalty for unsustainable lifestyles and patterns of production and consumption. As the human population is exploding, resources are shrinking.

Concerns loom everywhere, from declining pollinators affecting food security, to air and water pollution affecting the quality of life, and land shortage and degradation affecting both agriculture and biodiversity.

These are just some examples of the results of unsustainability. This is an important moment to find solutions for sustainable living, in harmony with Mother Earth.

India is home to one-sixth of the world's people and it has the densest population. It also has the second-largest population after China, which it will surpass in less than a decade if current trends continue.

India is a country full of diversity and contradictions.

While per-capita emissions are amongst the lowest in the world, it is also the third biggest generator of emissions. Despite being the third largest economy in the world, India also has the largest number of people living below the international poverty line. Because of this sheer size and rapid growth, sustainability is a challenge.

In spite of these challenges, India is a conscious aspirant. It has shown leadership in combating climate change and meeting the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), as is reflected in many of its developmental schemes.

This commitment was acknowledged by the world in July this year at the UN’s High Level Political Forum, as it presented the Voluntary National Review Report on Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals .

India is one of the least wasteful economies. It has frequently been acknowledged by stakeholders for its cooperation and efforts to promote climate change mitigation, and environmental sustainability; this has been through policy measures, dialogue facilitation between nations, and taking decisive steps, especially after India emerged as a key player in shaping the Paris Agreement, along with adopting energy-efficiency measures.

Sustainability has always been a core component of Indian culture. Its philosophy and values have underscored a sustainable way of life.

For example, the yogic principle of aparigraha, which is a virtue of being non-attached to materialistic possessions, keeping only what is necessary at a certain stage of life. Humans and nature share a harmonious relationship, which goes as far as a reverence for various flora and fauna. This has aided biodiversity conservation efforts.

A great example is of the Bishnoi community in the Jodhpur region, Rajasthan, for whom the protection of wildlife is part of their faith. Yoga and Ayurveda are perhaps among the most well-known ways of holistic Indian living.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and psyches still continue to be part of the lifestyle and culture. India has both a culture of hoarding (in case something might come in useful), and thriftiness (re-use and hand-me-downs). It is not an uncommon sight in an Indian household to witness an old cloth being used as a duster.

Things which have absolutely no value, such as old newspapers and books, or utensils, can be easily sold off to a scrap dealers to be re-used or re-cycled. Bucket baths, sun- drying clothes, and hand-washing dishes are other widespread, sustainable practices. Culturally, there is also an aversion to wasting food.

Rural communities, which constituted about 70% of the Indian population as of 2011 , live close to nature and continue to live a simple and frugal lifestyle .

Greendex is an international report on sustainable living. The study compiled by National Geographic and Globescan measures the way consumers are responding to environmental concerns. The scores measure housing, transport, food and goods. India occupies a top spot on this index among 18 contenders, which also include China and the US. In particular, India received high scores in housing, transportation and food choices.

These results show that Indian consumers are most conscious about their environmental footprint and are making the most sustainable choices.

However, as the economy develops and grows further, socio-economic trends are shifting. The country's achievements so far in no way negate the environmental concerns it still faces.

India and the world have a long and challenging way to go in dealing with environmental problems, and learning to live together in sustainable communities. We need to realize that development is more than economic, and sustainable development is a collective responsibility.

India does seem to have taken a lead. As a global family and village, we should come together to learn from each other, and good lessons can be drawn and implemented from both ancient wisdom, and scientific fact.

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A dive into sustainability in Indian culture

By Sanjoli Arora

The world seems to be floating in a wave of sustainability. India too has soaked itself into it. Sustainable brands, practices and even influencers are craving their space to make modern India jump on this bandwagon.

However, is the concept of sustainability new to us as a country? Or is it just a fancy new name we have given to age-old practices and traditions?

Sit tight as we take a history lesson into the idea of sustainability in Indian culture. We look back on how India has its roots dug deep in sustainability and what this means for the new India.

Table of Contents

Ancient India and the environment

It is interesting to see ancient Vedas with several references regarding ecological balance and environmental protection. All the four major Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva) recognise the importance of maintaining season cycles . They also highlight how this can be altered due to climate change owing to inappropriate human actions.

India is a diverse country with a variety of ethnicities and religions. For most Indians, faith is essential . All Indian religions are great supporters and promoters of environmentalism.

In an article on Earth Charter and Hinduism , author Kamla Chowdhry emphasised that “Hindus regard everything about them as pervaded by divine presence. The rivers, mountains, lakes, animals, flora and fauna, are all manifestations of God. Thus there is a deep respect and gratitude felt towards nature.”

This respect to nature and ecology can be noticed in a vast network of sacred ecology and even holy cities across India.

Other religions also encourage preaching and practising environment-friendly activities. Buddhism is sometimes termed as an ecological religion . It has been described as containing values similar to those necessary for a sustainable society.

Jainism is a religion of kindness. It aims at the welfare of all living beings. Jain environmentalism is largely based on spirituality, non-violence and equality. Christianity and Islam too profess sustainability. There are approximately hundreds of verses both in the Bible and Qur’an that talk about protection of the environment.

Civilisations and conservation

Ancient Indian civilisations like the Indus Valley were known for their urban planning. The people were conscious of the need to protect nature and to harness it within prescribed limits. Harappan sites, for example, demonstrate techniques employed for water harvesting and storing .

Using natural resources adequately was not the only popular practice. Wildlife conservation, for instance, dates back to the time of Chandragupta Maurya .

Chandragupta Maurya was a great patron of conservation. His minister Kautilya or popularly known as Chanakya, believed that it is the duty of a king to conserve natural resources. He thus authored detailed procedures of wildlife conservation . He also prescribed severe penalty provisions for those found guilty of cruelty to animals.

Chandragupta’s successor Ashoka not only introduced forest protection laws but also ordered animals from being slaughtered. 

Indian communities and ecological protection

In school, we briefly read about many communities that had sustainable practices at their core.

The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan is particularly note-worthy. They advocated the banning of tree felling. They believed that trees are the basis of a harmonious and prosperous environment. In 1730, Amrita Devi and 363 members of the community sacrificed their lives to protect the Khejarli forest .

Another example is that of medicinal expertise of Yanadi tribals in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The alienation of the Yanadi from forest resources and the resultant loss of Yanadi traditional knowledge is a serious issue today.

Local communities have time and again proved to protect and co-exist with the nature around them. Maybe it is time we all learn to co-exist with the environment around us irrespective of where we live.

Independent India and frugal living

When India finally got independence from the British Raj, it was able to make its own decisions. This meant letting go of unfair labour laws and practices that were harming the environment.

Every British Indian law had an element that viewed every resource as a commodity that deserved to be exploited. This was contrary to the ancient Indian practice of protecting, using and managing the natural resources by the communities.

The partition, however, proved to be a traumatic experience. Rising poverty overshadowed the joy of independence.

While an independent country meant better jobs, the income was slow. In such situations, one has to make the most of what they had. “There were days when we struggled to afford even three meals during the day. New clothes and utensils were luxuries we could not afford. In such times, finding any job and living off what we had was the only option.”, shares Mr Gopal. He is now 80 years old and crossed the border to settle down near the capital Delhi after partition.

I made full use of what I had and managed to save a bit as well. Mrs. Sheela Sethi

Low incomes, however, did not mean low quality of life as Mrs Sheela shares, “We may have a very low family income, but I ensured the best products for the family even if it meant walking kilometres to procure atta (wheat) directly from the chakki (mill)”. Mrs Sheela is now 78 years old, mother of six and grandmother to nine. She says, “I made full use of what I had and managed to save a bit as well. Back then, life was simpler with bare minimum desires.”

Clearly, life in independent India emphasised on using what we have to the most and enjoying what was readily and easily available to us. (Think #VocalforLocal )

Capitalism, economic development and environmental degradation

Indian economy had its fair shares of turmoil. While the initial five-year development plan models proved to be successful, the 1960s saw a severe food shortage.

The 70s did not bring any relief and was considered a ‘ lost decade ‘ due to high inflation and low growth. By the 1980s the policy elite in India had come to the consensus that the economy was ripe for market-led reforms.

Then in 1991, a new economic policy was introduced . These policies liberalised the market and introduced India to a globalised world. There is no doubt that the 1991 reforms lifted many millions out of poverty thanks to the rapid growth. However, economic profits meant environmental degradation.

Studies suggest that the reforms were purely driven by economic considerations, ignoring environmental criteria. Moreover, at the time of India’s liberalisation, no significant ecological policy changes took place that could explain or combat the changes in the pollution intensity of production and exports.

This begs to ask the questions. Can economic profits and environment care not go hand in hand? India may not be alone, though. Many developing countries have had weak environmental policies and previous trade barriers that favoured capital intensive production.

Sustainability and modern India

India in the 21st century is still grappling with the ghosts of the past and swaying between economic development vs taking decisive environmental protection actions. This debate over the environment and growth will always be ongoing.

What seems to be different is the conversation. Netas (politicians) are no longer in charge of environmental policymaking. The public is as keen to know and direct the country in the right direction. This was evident during the recent EIA protests , where lakhs of emails and civilian actions created a momentum.

Similarly, there is momentum at an individual level for a change by adopting practices like recycling, composting or complete lifestyle changes. As per Google trends , plastic-free living searches has gained momentum during 2020 compared to the last five years.

In an age of social media and influencer culture, many eco-influencers have emerged to steer aam janta (common public) in the conscious direction. Mrudula Joshi is one of them.

Ullisu or ‘to save’ in Kanada, is the name of her Instagram page that now has almost 5,000 followers. She started the page back in 2018 to document her journey into sustainable living . “It was a way to stick to my resolution to go plastic-free.”

Living sustainably can be done imperfectly. No one should be judged or penalised for that. Mrudula Joshi ( @ullisu.official )

Eventually, she started sharing resources on her page that attracted attention. “A lot of my friends and followers discovered many Indian sustainable brands through me. Up until then, people didn’t have access to these resources. Lifestyle changes can only occur if consumers are aware of the products in the market.”, shares Mrudula who now also runs a website by the same name.

Over the years she has managed to grow her tribe. She makes sure to share her journey with all its ups and downs. She says, “I make sure to highlight my fails as well. It makes people realise that sustainable living can be done imperfectly. One should not be judged or penalised for that.”

What is evident is the desire for this conversation to stay trending. After all, it is our future that is at stakes.

Feature image photographed by Naman Saraiya

Sanjoli is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Fashion Journalism. She has contributed to publications like MensXP , Mindless Mag and Sustain: The Mag in the past. She enjoys writing and reading about fashion. She is currently trying to live more sustainably.

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Environmentally Sustainable Cultural Practices of the Indigenous People s

The role of culture in the conservation of environment is immensely significant. The main purpose behind the study is to explore the ways in which one of the Tribes of Assam has sustained the environment around them culturally. The Tiwa tribe of Assam is a scheduled tribe whose tradition and culture over time has been to live in close connection with nature. Thus, the practices of these people and their culture are deeply related to the conservation of the environment. In the following study focus has been to look at this indigenous group of people and explore the measures that they employ in order to create a space of sustenance with the environment. The research study is entirely qualitative and the data which is collected has been based on secondary sources of information. In the study it would be revealed how different beliefs and practices of these communities including, taboos and totemism, have all been instruments at protecting the environment. The paper explorers the indigenous knowledge of the river community people to make the best use out of the natural environment around them without hampering the ecology. In the conclusion of the study the researcher gives forth an analysis of how the government policy makers as well as the environmentalists can benefit immensely from learning and employing the different modes in which the environment is being protected by the traditional knowledge of the indigenous community.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research problem:.

The Tiwa community of northeast India is a very diverse community with different social cultural traits. The diversity can be witnessed in terms of the cultural, social and geographical disparity between the Hill Tiwas and Plain Tiwas. The aim of the study was to find out more about the indigenous practices of the members of Tiwa community which are in turn environmentally sustainable. The festivities, taboos and certain conservation practices of the Tiwa tribe have been studied to exemplify how they are rooted on the ideals of environmental sustainability.

Aims and Objectives:

The main objective behind writing this research paper remains the following:

a) To explore the various sustainable practices of the members of the community b) To understand how the cultural practices of the Tiwa community are environment friendly c) Understanding the importance of indigenous knowledge in sustaining the environment. d) Finally, to analyze how these traditional practices are significant in helping community and the government in implementing its developmental policies.

Research questions:

As the study was conducted based on secondary sources of information collected in a short span of time, there are a few research questions prepared instead of any hypothesis. These questions were: a) What are the cultural practices of the Tiwas? b) What constitutes the indigenous belief systems of the Tiwas? c) How are the individual and collective practices of the Tiwa people environmentally sustainable? d) What is the role of members of the community in protecting the environment? e) How can these practices be used by the policy makers in implementing sustainable development policies?

Limitations:

Every research study has its own limitation. The following are some of the main problems which were faced by the researcher in the course of her study:

• The following research paper was prepared in the month of August and September, 2020. As the paper was written in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, thus movement across different parts of the state was restricted. This was the major limitation of the study as field study could not be conducted.
• The region of Morigaon and Nagaon are severely flood affected areas. Thus, the monsoon season made it difficult to procure primary data.
• In the short period of the study it was not possible to explore each and every practice of the Tiwa community which would have made the paper more resourceful and holistic.
• Some of the books referred to in the study of this research paper are written in a regional language. Thus, translation of original texts has been a limit of this study. While being able to access these sources acted as an advantage for the researcher herself, the non-availability of translated versions of these original texts may be a limiting factor for readers interested in further exploration who may not have access to the language.

INTRODUCTION

The North-East of India is a melting pot of numerous tribes with their own distinctive ethnicityand cultures. Traditionally, the North East of India is comprised of the seven sister states namely: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, along with the state of Sikkim. Each of these states has a significant share of their population comprising of the indigenous people, i.e., the Tribal population. The North East of India, being a culturally diverse ad rich zone has been a melting pot of indigenous cultures. One of the tribes of Assam, the Tiwa community has been studied in this paper. The central idea remains to understand the tribal or indigenous beliefs and practices which help sustain the environment. Thus, the indigenous knowledge system and culture also showcases a new culture of consumption very different from the dominant contemporary models, which are exploitative in essence. When we reflect on the varying traditional ways of living of these people, it provides an explanation for why the contemporary idea of prioritizing want over need comes at the immense cost of the environment. 

BACKGROUND:

Understanding the indigenous people: 

Among others, people belonging to tribes constitute the indigenous population. Such tribes are enlisted by government census data and have varied representations in numbers. The term Indigenous has been defined extensively by scholars, anthropologists and other social scientists globally. Anthropologists over time have, however, struggled to define what a tribe is and to distinguish them from the other social formations. Initially, in the 19th century, tribes were not just understood as a particular type of society but also as a particular stage of evolution (Beteille, 1998). They were considered to be primitive, isolated and self-contained social formations. The indigenous peoples were universally given a political recognition when the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples was adopted in 2007. With its 46 articles, it emphasizes on the need for guaranteeing the environmental rights, land rights to these peoples to ensure their cultural sustainability.

Indigenous People in India

The Scheduled Tribes or STs:

In India, the indigenous people or the aboriginal ethnic groups are recognized legally as the scheduled tribes or STs. The Indian constitution has defined the Scheduled Tribes in its Article 342 and Article 366.

ARTICLE 342: Scheduled Tribes 1. The President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the tribes, or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union Territory, as the case may be. 

2. Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (2) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

ARTICLE 366:

Definitions:  In this Constitution unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say – “Scheduled Tribes” means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution. (Constitution of India)

The Indian Constitution provides for an extensive system of affirmative action for its tribal population by assuring reservation in education, government jobs. The affirmative action policies are undertaken by the constitution of India to do away with the social and cultural ‘backwardness’ of the tribal people as well as to prevent discriminatory practices directed at them.

According to the last census of India In 2011, the scheduled tribes constitute an 8.6% of the total population, the total number stood at 10,42,81,034. A large section of the tribal population is concentrated in the North East of India. Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli are predominantly tribal States /Union territories where Scheduled Tribes population constitutes more than 60% of their total population (Census of India Report, 2011). The states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Mizoram, Bihar, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, account for 15.3% of the total Scheduled Tribe population of India (Census of India Report, 2011). The state of Assam alone has nearly 18 notified tribes. The total scheduled tribes population of Assam in 2011 was 3,884,371 (Census of India Report, 2011). In the state of Assam, the total population of the scheduled tribes stood at 12% (Census of India Report, 2011).

Just like the indigenous peoples all across the globe, the tribal population of the state of Assam has also maintained cultural practices and values which are consistent with the idea of sustainability. The idea of sustainability stems from their notion of conscious strategy building aimed at striking a balance between the human world of survival and the natural environment, keeping in mind the needs of the future generations. Indigenous cultures may represent sources of such environmental values alternative to dominant materialistic ones. Historically, indigenous cultures were underpinned by eco-centric values and holistic, non-materialistic worldviews. (Banerjee, 2002)

Research into Design for a Connected World pp 519–528 Cite as

Indian Cultural Practices as a Manifestation of Environmental World View—An Exploration as a Tool for Environmental Stress Mitigation

• Vikash Kumar 4  
• Conference paper
• First Online: 09 January 2019

1429 Accesses

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 134))

Population growth, and excessive exploitation of resources (air, water, and land) for consumerism-driven economy are among the few reasons for environmental degradation. The growing concern over this in recent years have resulted in several remedial steps taken by both government and nongovernment organizations, often manifested through environmental laws, regulations, and policies.The philosophical bases of such remedial steps are generally biased toward anthropocentric (or techno-centric) worldview. However, this paper posits that the traditional Indian philosophy toward environmental protection is based on conservative-nurturing (or eco-centric) world view, often manifested through cultural practices. The paper is an attempt to explore Indian cultural practices from the environmental worldview (EWV) perspective. This paper, at first, presents a review of the most popular EWV available in the literature. Then it discusses two Indian cultural practices and attempts to draw a philosophical relationship with these worldviews. The study of these two cultural practices indicates the manifestation of either conservative-nurturing or eco-centric worldview. The paper advocates that cultural practices are potential tools for environmental stress mitigation. This is supported by a few recent cases of environmental protection through cultural practices. The paper concludes that cultural practices have a great potential for environmental protection and such practices should be recognized, strengthened, and nurtured through research.

• Environment world views
• Environmental protection
• Indian cultural practices

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Kumar, V. (2019). Indian Cultural Practices as a Manifestation of Environmental World View—An Exploration as a Tool for Environmental Stress Mitigation. In: Chakrabarti, A. (eds) Research into Design for a Connected World. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 134. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5974-3_45

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In Indian culture, living in peace with the environment is a must. Since time immemorial, it has been widely represented in different ancient customs, religious beliefs, ceremonies, folklore, arts and crafts, and in the daily lives of Indian people. The Stockholm Environmental Conference in 1992 and the United Nations Conference on Human Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 have lately emerged as worldwide concerns for sustainable development and natural resource conservation over the last two decades. A comparison of India’s lengthy history of environmental protection and cultural etiquette.

Almost every country in the world has a long history of environmental ethics rooted in its culture. Many ancient cultures describe how people lived in peace with nature, the tradition of honouring the elements that make up the environment, and their upbringing from natural resources while also conserving the environment that nourishes them. Tribals are despised by modern man as being primitive, backward, and superstitious. They may be poor, illiterate, and impoverished in other ways, but they have a solid grasp of the ecosystem and the mechanisms that keep it alive. Sitakant Mahapatra (1992) put it like way:

“They still regard life as a gift to be cherished, and they are among the honourable, venerable, and honoured peoples of this ancient world.” And the connection is one of holy faith and loving intimacy since they believe in remembering, worshipping, and celebrating the world in one’s life as much as they believe in celebrating one’s life in this world. A part of mental experience and a part of its spiritual dimension are both presents. The ground, the land, and the village all enter it, protected in ethnic memory, and it is the only one.

In many indigenous societies, the worship of Mother Earth is a worldwide phenomenon. In tribal society, there are several instances of festivals, rituals, songs, and myths that honour Mother Earth’s gifts and express a sense of oneness and fraternity between humans and nature. The Sioux Indians, an American-Indian society, refused to cultivate the soil because they did not want to harm their mother’s earthly body. ‘Should I mutilate her flesh so that her bones are gone?’ they’ll ask. Then I won’t be able to re-enter her body and re-birth.’

Plants, animals, rivers, oceans, mountains, wind, sun, and moon are all given supernatural powers by indigenous peoples in various parts of the world. Many religious beliefs instil a sense of reverence for the natural world. Ascensions are used by several Hindu deities. Sacred forests or holy groves are a feature of Hindu and Buddhist culture. Both Christianity and Islam are based on environmental preservation. The belief is that God created nature and its elements and that humans are responsible for protecting them. Many faiths and moral theories emphasise the interconnectedness of all living creatures on Earth and the human responsibility to protect them.

When people all over the world are suffering from environmental deterioration and its devastating repercussions, traditional conservation ideas can serve as a source of inspiration and direction for the future. No other civilization can possibly compare to the Indians in terms of rich cultural practises and a good relationship with nature. This chapter compiles some of the material on this part of Indian culture that is accessible from various sources.

For the people of India, environmental protection is not a novel concept. Conservation of nature and wildlife has long been a deeply held belief, mirrored in people’s daily lives and enshrined in mythology, folklore, religion, art, and culture. Some of the fundamental ideas of ecology, such as all life’s interconnectedness and interdependence, were envisioned in Indian folklore and represented in the ancient scriptures, the Isopanishad, around 2000 years ago. ‘This universe is the supreme power’s creation for the welfare of all creatures,’ it says. As a result, by becoming a part of the system in close interaction with other species, each individual life-form must learn to enjoy its benefits. ‘No one’s caste should infringe on another’s rights.’

The oldest visual representation of human desire, love, and respect for nature in India can be found in the 10,000-year-old cave paintings of Bhimbetka in central India, which depict birds, animals, and humans coexisting. The Indus Valley culture demonstrates human interest in wildlife, as seen by seals portraying rhinos, elephants, oxen, and other animals. Conservation of nature and natural resources has long been ingrained in the Indian psyche and beliefs, as evidenced through religious activities. Folklore, art, and culture are present in all aspects of people’s lives. Most of the Indian subcontinent’s developed religions have scriptures and teachings that show concern for nature and conservation. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and Islam are all religions. Other values, beliefs, and attitudes related to the cross-cultural sovereignty of respect for nature and the elements that make up the universe are also highlighted. Various religious traditions had the concept of sinning against nature. There are many parallels between man and the environment in Indian mythology. Many rituals that seem pointless and superstitious to modern culture were customary tactics to preserve the internal interaction between man and nature. The worship of trees, animals, forests, rivers, and the sun, as well as the earth as the mother goddess, were all part of Indian culture. Various religious traditions had the concept of sinning against nature. There are many parallels between man and the environment in Indian mythology. Many rituals that today’s society considers superstitious and pointless were once considered necessary to maintain the internal bond between man and nature. The worship of trees, animals, forests, rivers, and the sun, as well as the earth as the mother goddess, were all part of Indian culture. Various religious traditions had the concept of sinning against nature. There are many parallels between man and the environment in Indian mythology. Many rituals that today’s society considers superstitious and pointless were once considered necessary to maintain the internal bond between man and nature. The worship of trees, animals, forests, rivers, and the sun, as well as the earth as the mother goddess, were all part of Indian culture.

In Indian culture, living in peace with the environment is a must. The Stockholm Environmental Conference in 1992 and the U.N. Conference on Human Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 have emerged as concerns for sustainable development and natural resource conservation. Religious beliefs instil a sense of oneness and fraternity between humans and the natural environment. The Sioux Indians, an American-Indian society, refused to cultivate the soil because they did not want to harm their mother’s body.

Sacred forests or holy groves are a feature of Hindu and Buddhist culture. Both Christianity and Islam are based on environmental preservation.

When people all over the world are suffering from environmental deterioration, conservation ideas can serve as a source of inspiration and direction for the future. This chapter compiles some of the material on this part of Indian culture that is accessible from various sources. For the people of India, environmental protection is not a novel concept. Conservation of nature and natural resources has long been ingrained in the Indian psyche and beliefs. Some of the fundamental ideas of ecology were envisioned in Indian folklore and represented in the ancient scriptures, the Isopanishad.

‘This universe is the supreme power’s creation for the welfare of all creatures,’ it says. Conservation of nature and wildlife has long been a deeply held belief, mirrored in people’s daily lives and enshrined in mythology, folklore, religion, art, and culture. There are many parallels between man and the environment in Indian mythology. Folklore, art, and culture are present in all aspects of people’s lives. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and Islam are all religions.

Other values, beliefs, and attitudes related to the cross-cultural sovereignty of nature and the elements that make up the universe are also highlighted. The worship of trees, animals, forests, rivers, and the sun, as well as the earth as the mother goddess, were all part of Indian culture.

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Sustainable Traditional Practices from an Indian Perspective: An Introduction to the Series

T he world is under an environmental crisis. While it is important to use modern technologies to combat these challenges, it is equally important to use the wisdom of traditional practices as well as community-based local knowledge used by the ancestors. Somewhere in the culture of India lie solutions to the relationship of humans with the only planet we call our home. Ironically the climate crisis has not historically been driven by India but the country is at the receiving end with extreme weather cycles, storms, droughts, and floods. While it is easy to shift the blame on the population which exists in too little space added with the food and water crisis which is ultimately threatening the country’s economy, there is much more reasoning for shifting climates.

Fortunately there lie solutions from the centuries-old experience and are within the grasp to explore the new story of development. We need to take cues from ancient strategies that have stood the test of time. This blog documents some of the sustainable practices, India has been using for decades with the hope that they are read and used by others. 

We welcome Ketki from Explore with Ecokats for this upcoming four-part series and can’t wait to share her wealth of knowledge. We hope that you find some ways to implement traditional Indian practices into your lifestyle for a more sustainable approach.

In the yesteryears, most communities lived close to nature – near forests, rivers, etc. With industrialization, the large rural population shifted to urban areas. Due to high economic growth, there was a shift in the lifestyle which ultimately led to changes in ideologies and adapting to modern and smart technologies. The development model shifted to linear development which was heavily dependent on fossil fuels and large generation and disposal of waste. 

In many ways, India represents one of the few ancient civilizations and cultures. At the heart of Indian traditions lies adaptability to local conditions such as housing, agriculture, livelihood, water management, etc. Sustainability and climate change may be the broader terms used in modern science but India has always been at the core of finding optimal solutions for everyday life. 

We have had difficulties adjusting to the ‘Work from Home’ norm in 2020 brought by the COVID-19 pandemic but the seed of this model had always been ingrained in our ancestry. The best example of this is from the early 1900s when Mahatma Gandhi motivated the countrymen to adopt the charkha (spinning wheel) to make khadi , a type of hand-women natural fiber cloth. Production of textile was not the only motivating factor behind this but he wanted the youth of India to understand the value of dignity, being self-dependent, bring decentralization in work, bring in the concept of work from home, and also set an example of carrying out sustainable traditional practices! 

India has an overall attitude of resourcefulness that permeates the minds of all citizens in rural as well as urban areas. It is not poverty, rather the culture that makes people consume only as much as they want. These are the ways in which people live – sowing respect for nature and mindful consumption.

This series on sustainable practices from an Indian perspective will cover four topics in detail over the upcoming weeks.

Sustainable Practices for Food

India has a predominantly agrarian economy. India has always used indigenous techniques and methods that are prevalent in different regions of the country which cater to specific agricultural activities like irrigation, crop harvesting, and pest management. The most important factor in all these is the non-use of fossil fuel-based energy and reliance on wisdom derived from local experiences and observations. 

Production, storage, and processing of food consume water, energy, and space at domestic as well as industrial levels. Traditionally the country has been using renewable energy sources and local materials for these activities.

Indians are also concerned about food wastage and make efforts to use the excess food by repurposing the food item or giving it to those in need.

Part 1: India’s sustainable food practices is now online – don’t miss all these great tips for a more sustainable diet and kitchen.

Sustainable Practices for Textile and Clothing

While there is a variety of textiles, patterns, and designs that have developed in different regions in the country, the one feature that stands out is the recycling, reuse, or upcycling of these clothes. When a garment or cloth outlives its function, it is converted into a new product but with an artistic twist, like turning sarees into blankets and garments into bags! 

India stands 2nd in world cotton production, which is a naturally growing sustainable fabric.

Part 2: India’s sustainable clothing practices is now online – don’t miss all these great tips for a more sustainable wardrobe.

Sustainable Practices for Housing 

The housing sector contributes to over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and consumes over 40% of energy. Traditionally, stone and mud houses were constructed using local materials which also addressed reduced energy use and disaster risk reduction. However, cities nowadays are turning a blind eye towards these practices.

Part 3: India’s sustainable housing practices is now online – don’t miss all these great tips for a more sustainable approach to water consumption

Sustainable Practices for Water 

Water is the most precious commodity which has a huge demand in commercial, industrial, and domestic use. With the population explosion, it is increasingly becoming difficult to satisfy the demands especially due to wastage and pollution. Each region in India has developed its own systems and methods for water conservation and usage as well as rainwater harvesting methods.

Part 4: India’s sustainable water practices is now online – don’t miss all these great tips for a more sustainable approach to water consumption

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Are you excited about the upcoming 4 part series from Ketki, an ecologist from India? Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on when new entries in the series are published and for more information about embracing sustainable behaviors.

Let her know in the comments what you are looking forward to the most and if you have any questions. Thanks for being curious about how other cultures approach sustainability, by doing this we can come together to save the planet!

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Sustainable Food Practices from Traditional Indian Culture

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I am very much looking forward to learning more about this topic.

Thank you, we’re excited to share the rest of the series. There’s lots of great information embedded in the content!

It is great to read about the link between sustainability and local knowledge. In Australia the official the indigenous people knew how to burn off to prevent forest fires. We seem to have forgotten that

Yes, looking to historical, local, and Indigenous knowledge and practices can offer some unexpected solutions to our global environmental crisis.

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Sustainable living is rooted in Indian culture, it's time to look at alternatives to our high-carbon lifestyles

There are things that can be easily fixed, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to bite the bullet and make the effort.

We’ve all heard about the climate crisis the world is currently facing, and everyone is in imminent danger of losing their way of life. The only way to keep this calamity at bay is to make immediate changes in the way we think about environmental responsibility and our lifestyles.

Go Green! Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!  None of those is an option or choice for us anymore — they need to be our way of life today. Living an eco-friendly existence has been advocated time and again by countless activists. But the issue has been taken up on war footing after it was made popular by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg .

Today, people are growing more responsible and more aware of their personal carbon footprint. Many are also looking at alternatives to traditional, polluting or energy-intensive products and technologies. But the practice of sustainability is not widely known. There is also a dearth of “eco-friendly” options readily available to us at the store down the road.

Living a sustainable life can be made a lot easier and lighter on your wallet if there were, in fact, accessible alternatives to our common, everyday items. One of the reasons alternatives aren’t very easily available is because there aren’t many companies producing them. It’s been 112 years since the first plastic, bakelite, was invented. And in that time, plastic has taken over our lives dramatically, with single-use products from our homes and hangout spots landing up in oceans.

To understand sustainability from the perspective of a business, and what Indian companies are doing to offer more sustainable options to consumers, I spoke to Anirban Ghosh, chief sustainability officer at the Mahindra Group.   

Mahindra conducted a survey of around 2,000 people between the ages of 25 and 30 to find out how the public perceives climate change, sustainable alternatives, and the role businesses play in climate action.    They found out Indians would like to do the right thing and make choices that are good for the environment but the alternatives are not readily available.   

Edited excerpts from the interview follow.

What is sustainability? How does Mahindra define it?

Anirban Ghosh (AG):   The Brundtland Commission, in their 1987 report ‘ Our Common Future ’, defined the term ‘sustainable development’ as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

This is a wonderful way of articulating sustainability. But while it is a great definition for the United Nations, doesn’t tell the business what to do. The Mahindra Group has adopted the definition: “Sustainability is about building an enduring business while rejuvenating the environment and enabling stakeholders to rise.”

**What do Indian citizens think about living sustainably? ** 

AG:   We surveyed roughly 2,000 people between 25-50 years of age in five major Indian cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore. We expected to hear responses like ‘What is climate change?’ or ‘Why do we have to change the way we live our lives?’, but instead realised that people were well-aware of the problem and were willing to take action. We also learned that there were very few sustainable options available to people and what was available wasn’t always an economical or accessible choice. If I wanted to buy an electric car today, there isn’t a “good” option out there that’s both affordable and does a good job.

Can developing nations like India adopt sustainability without ample alternatives?

AG: Can India afford to be water-scarce? That’s a rhetorical question. India needs water, and with that logic, the answer to your question would be “No, India cannot afford to be a non-sustainable country and we need to adopt sustainable practices.” We all tend to look at the issue with a varying degree of inherent bias. In this case, the bias is that sustainability is expensive, and leads to a trade-off between development and the environment. I think over the last few years, we have found these biases are misplaced.

In fact, if you were to adopt sustainable practices, you would save money, and in almost no case will you put the development of India at risk. For example, if having lights in the house is a sign of development, then 300 million Indians wouldn’t have lights in their house if LED technology (sustainable technology) did not exist and wasn’t adopted on a broad scale.

It’s also easier for us (Indians), in my view, to adopt this lifestyle because the ethos of sustainability is rooted in our country. We have only started messing up in a big way in recent times, with a growing population, greater prosperity and the search for convenience. We wanted to ape the Western world because we’ve perceived they had a better life. I think if we clean up our cities, our rivers and our air, life will become that much better.

Are there any challenges unique to India on its journey to becoming sustainable?

AG: One of India’s biggest challenges is our demand for energy. Not only is it on a consistent rise, but it will also continue to increase in the short and medium-term as the earning potential of people increases. So far, we have met these demands using energy from coal. Governments and think tanks have looked at this problem (sustainable sources of energy) in great detail and crunching the numbers has led them to the conclusion that it simply isn’t possible to be energy-secure in the short and medium-term without the use of coal. Till that changes, our continuous use of coal will only cause our carbon emissions to increase further.   

But, I think India could potentially use this as an opportunity to leapfrog and set up renewable energy plants on a wide scale. With a country like the US, which uses five times more the amount of coal per capita than India does, there is little chance of such wide-scale adoption to power growth as infrastructure is already in place and they need to decrease their usage from today.

Another thing that people think of as a challenge is poverty. As I see it, a nation with 22 percent of its population below the poverty line is also a huge opportunity: to develop in a way that is sustainably low on emissions. We can come out of poverty using low-carbon methods such that our per capita emissions are nowhere near the numbers the Western world is seeing today, with our eyes still set firmly on development and prosperity.

(Also read: The key to India’s solar energy dreams lies in public co-operation, not just in an investor-led approach )

Is balancing low-emission goals with sustainability too ambitious? Any success stories India can aspire to replicate?

AG: India is going to be the first, emerging country to develop using a low carbon path. In the case of developing countries, with your main focus on China, they developed by adopting a carbon-intensive path. As a matter of fact (and statistics), China has become the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, even outranking the EU and the USA in recent years.

Animation: The countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions since 1750 Ranking as of the start of 2019: 1) US – 397GtCO2 2) CN – 214Gt 3) fmr USSR – 180 4) DE – 90 5) UK – 77 6) JP – 58 7) IN – 51 8) FR – 37 9) CA – 32 10) PL – 27 pic.twitter.com/cKRNKO4O0b — Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) April 23, 2019

India won’t be able to follow the path that China has, where development is concerned — with the use of thermal power, steel, and cement on a scale that is frankly unimaginable. For the longest time, more than 60-70 percent of the steel manufactured worldwide came to China. India is already making strides towards following a less carbon-intensive path.

It will be a fascinating journey, and I don’t think we can copy-paste a solution from anywhere else to fit our sustainable development plans.

Is any infrastructure needed to make sustainability accessible to the masses?

AG:   I believe that the least we can do for the people is give them access to clean water, clean air, good food, climate-friendly accommodation and transportation. That’s a solid start. What we need is:

Sustainable public transport:  Lots of metros, electric cars and shared mobility that will enable everyone to commute and move around in an eco-friendly manner.

Housing for the future:   70 percent of the buildings that we will need in 2050 haven’t been built yet. That’s because today, 30 percent of India lives in urban areas, which are expected to double to 60 percent in the next 30 years. Buildings are notorious for being emission-intensive. Some 30-40 percent of the world emissions come from building because of lighting, heating, cooling, etc.

But we have the technology that can help us build green buildings and cut our emissions by 30-40 percent. The good thing is that it is no longer more expensive to build a green building than it is to build a conventional building. Now the question is to enable builders to only build green buildings. One of the things that the Mahindra Group hopes to do is make an impact on building codes such that even people that don’t understand “green buildings” end up building green if they follow the norms.

Clean air and water:   People in Mumbai don’t have to fume over clean air like they do in Delhi. If we look at examples from the recent past, we will see that Beijing was horribly polluted, as was London and the Thames River, which was an “open sewer” as late as the early 20th century. Singapore, too, was a dirty island till the 1960s. We all know that those countries have seen vast improvements since. So it isn’t that we can’t do the same and clean up our air and water bodies.

Even the highly-urbanised, densely populated capital of Philippines, Manila, has a water body that resembled the sewage canal-esque state of the Mithi river in Maharashtra and the Adhiganga in Kolkata. There are towns in India where people have long-forgotten names of rivers because they haven’t seen anything resembling a river in decades. They’re well-known sewage canals to locals.

These are things that have relatively easy fixes that don’t require us to reinvent the wheel — just bite the bullet and make the effort. The question is no longer about whether there is infrastructure, the question is which of the many attainable transformations towards sustainability we can doggedly pick up first, and after that, to implement them across the country with the technology and resources at our disposal today.

How do you plan to use the survey’s findings?

AG:   We want to try and find solutions to the problems and challenges that we are facing. We are already investing in electric cars and scooters, micro-irrigation, green buildings, waste-to-energy technologies, renewable energy and alternatives that you and I will need if we want to live a low-carbon lifestyle.

The survey also confirmed our hypothesis — that we need to look at creative, new business opportunities that are now popping up, with lifestyle changes and climate action in the limelight.

We also want to share the survey’s findings with anyone who cares to listen, because it’s in the best interest of industries to find alternatives to what they are doing now. We’ve coined a new term — ‘Alternativism’. It can be broken down and perceived in two different ways — as ‘Alternativism’, which suggests a move towards alternatives, or as ‘alter-nativism’, which suggests a shift in perception of “native” actions or products in favour of better ones.

We believe that solutions to the greatest challenge humans have ever faced aren’t going to be found with approaches that are conventional and orthodox. It needs constant experimentation and the use of new methods, whether it’s a new business model, a new hiring practice, or a unique way of leveraging technology.

We need an alternative approach, or in short, Alternativism.

Indians need viable alternatives if they have to make the change to living sustainably. We’ve all heard about the climate crisis the world is currently facing. The only way to deal with is by finding and following a low carbon way of life.

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4 Ethics, Environment, and Culture: The Paradox of India

• Published: July 2011
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This chapter analyzes the relation between the issues of ethics, culture, and environmental concerns in India. It reviews the contribution of some of the main thinkers and activists to environmental ethics and highlights the contribution of the environmental movements to creating awareness of environmental concerns and influencing public policy. This chapter also argues that developed countries have the moral responsibility of ensuring greater equity in sharing the costs of cleaning up the world and in promoting sustainability.

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Cultural Traditions Of Nature Conservation in India

For Indian people nature conservation is not a new concept .Living in harmony with nature has been an integral part of Indian culture. This has been reflected in various traditional practices, religious beliefs, rituals, folklore, arts and crafts and in the daily lives of Indians from time immemorial. Virtually all the countries of the world have rich traditions embedded in the ethics of protecting nature. In modern times some of these traditions and cultures have been encroached by the greed of development while others are doing Farley well in conserving resources. This is the high time to protect all of our traditions and culture that protect our environment.

Related Papers

Devashish Saurav

WORREL KUMAR BAIN

The present paper briefly reviews the studies on conservation of environment by traditional knowledge, beliefs and practices in India. The paper highlights how environmental degradations occur and how the tribes of India manage the environment and protect plants and animals through their knowledge and practices. The role of sacred groves for ensuring biodiversity conservation through community participation is briefly discussed here. This paper also focuses on the issues of sacred grove degradation.

Abhik Gupta

An extraordinary development of the central nervous system distinguishes Homo sapiens from all other biological species and has bestowed upon him the ability to grossly alter the structure and function of natural systems to such an extent that the biosphere – a sphere of all living organisms – is now virtually transformed into the ‘noosphere’ – a world controlled by the mind of man. Thus, more than the legal or technological tools, it is the human mind that ultimately holds the key to the conservation of the biosphere or its possible destruction. Hence, the ethical positions adopted by man in his dealings with nature are important determinants of the fate of the biosphere, including that of the human species itself. Such ethical positions may be ‘anthropocentric’, where conservation is human-centred and no other component is assigned any intrinsic value, or they may be ‘biocentric’/ ‘ecocentric’ to varying degrees, where intrinsic value is recognized in other organisms or in the ecosystems as well. Against the backdrop of these ethical positions, we analyze in this paper the myths and folklores, as well as cultural beliefs, customs and practices of indigenous communities of Northeastern India such as tribals, fisherfolk, hunter-trappers, plantation workers, farmers and so forth, and attempt to trace the ethical basis of various resource utilization and conservation strategies adopted by them. The present-day threats and pressures leading to an erosion of these traditional value-systems are also described and discussed.

World Views: Environment, Culture, Religion

Gavin Van Horn

Mountain Research and Development

Jigyasa Joshi

Michel Danino

A study in contrast between the attitudes to Nature in Indian and Western traditions and thought systems

Journal of South Asian Development

Krupa Rajangam

In this article we argue for greater attention to the practice of (nature-culture) conservation as a specific form of intervention with implications for development. Outlining the dominant frameworks through which the often vexed relationship between conservation and development has been understood, the article offers an alternative analytical framework that is grounded in ethnographic attention to everyday practice. Applying this framework, the three papers in this special section examine conservation-development dilemmas at diverse conservation sites in India—Rushikulya, Orissa, a globally significant site for the conservation of marine turtles; Nagarahole, in southern Karnataka, one of India’s most successful tiger reserves; and the Hampi region, northern Karnataka, where the archaeological remains of the medieval Vijayanagara Empire have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). The papers reveal a relationship between conservation and development that is paradoxically...

The Environmentalist

Kala Groves

India is known for the moral ethos of its people. Indian beliefs have been associated with compassion and respect for nature and its creations since ages. The religious beliefs of Jain, Vedic and Buddhist traditions in India established the principles of ecological harmony centuries ago. Indian religious and philosophical traditions embody the earliest concept of environmental ethics. Some of the important traditional environmental beliefs prevalent in India in which nature has been valued are discussed here. In Rajasthan, a desert state of India, the Khejri tree is valued for its moisture-retaining properties, and it is not axed even if it comes between the constructions. The live example of this is cited in Salasar Balaji temple in Sikar district. A Bishnoi cult of India inhabiting the Jodhpur region is known for wildlife protection specially the famous Black Buck that is an endangered species. Some areas popularly known as sacred groves or orans that are dedicated to a local deity worshipped by the inhabitants of that area are especially reserved for biodiversity conservation, and anthropogenic activities are completely prohibited. These and many more similar examples show that traditional beliefs of Indian societies have got a deeper understanding of the ecological system and have been completely integrated with nature to evolve sustainable lifestyle.

Chandra Negi

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Essay on Indian Culture in 500 Words

• Updated on  
• Dec 5, 2023

Did you know that Indian culture is one of the oldest and richest cultures in the world? Mark Twain once said, ‘India is the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.’ Indian culture is known for its rich beauty, traditional values, ethics, and social norms.

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‘We should proudly follow our cultural and traditional values, as they connect us to our age-old customs and what our culture means to us. India’s ethno-linguistically diverse culture has always been successful in catching global attention. Popular festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, etc. are not only celebrated in India but also in other parts of the world.’

Also Read: Essay on Festivals

Why is Indian Culture Famous?

India’s rich and diverse culture has always attracted people from different parts of the world. A series of factors are responsible for Indian culture’s popularity, which include;

• Cultural diversity all over the country. 
• Variety of religious and spiritual practices. 
• Connections with the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, which is one of the oldest civilizations.
• Concepts like yoga and meditation, which gained popularity all over the world.
• Tradition art practices such as classical dance forms like Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, etc. 
• Traditional art forms like Tanjore and Madhubani paintings have gained global attention.
• Our vibrant and colorful festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, etc. are celebrated in not just India but in other countries as well. 
• Our flavourful dishes and curries like roti sabzi, dal chawal, puri halwa, samosa, biryani, mithaiya, etc. are now sold all over the world.

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Interesting Facts About Indian Culture?

There are dozens of interesting facts about Indian culture, starting from ancient civilizations to modern times.

• One of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi, was named the Tourism and Cultural Capital for the year 2022-23 by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
• One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, is located in India, which attracts millions of tourists every year.
• Zero (0) and decimal systems, used in mathematics, were invented in India. The modern numeral system is based on Indian numerical notations. (0,1,2,3, etc.)
• India is home to the world’s oldest holistic healing system; Ayurveda.
• The world’s longest epic, the Mahabharata, is based in India. This legend consists of over 1 lakh couplets (shlokas).

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Things We Can Learn from Our Culture

Our culture connects us to our age-old belief system and social norms. We are born with our cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Our culture teaches us to:

• Understand why people do things the way they want to.
• Respecting everyone around us, especially our elders.
• Emphasize the relationship between family and bloodline.
• Respecting other people’s culture and traditions.
• Reflecting on adaptability to new systems and values.
• Connects us to our roots and gives us an identity.
• Encourages the preservation of our traditional and historical knowledge.
• Emphasizes generosity and hospitality towards our guests and neighbors. 
• It focuses on creating a sense of belonging in a community and mutual support.

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Paragraph on Indian Culture

Related Articles

Ans: Indian culture is one of the most oldest and popular cultures in the world. Our culture is known for its rich diversity, traditional values, ethics, and social norms. We should proudly follow our cultural and traditional values, as they connect us to our age-old customs and what our culture means to us. India’s ethno-linguistically diverse culture has always been successful in catching global attention. Popular festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, etc. are not only celebrated in India but also in other parts of the world.

Ans: Indian culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world; Zero (0) and decimal systems were first used in Indian culture; Indian culture was the first one to follow the practice of Ayurveda, one of the oldest healing systems; world’s oldest legends, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, were recorded in India; and the name India is derived from a Greek word ‘Indica.’

Ans: India was ruled by various Muslim dynasties during the Medival period. They gave this land the name Hindustan, which is derived from the Persian word Hindu from the Sanskrit word Sindhu.

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autobiography on book in urdu

Shahab Nama (Autobiography) By Qudrat Ullah Shahab

Shahab Nama is arguably the most influential and significant literary work in Urdu literature. It is an  autobiography of Qudrat Ullah Shahab , where he has narrated the details about the events, circumstances, and observations at different stages throughout his life. It is a biography without which the study of Pakistan’s history is incomplete.

Shahab Sahib was a leading writer in Urdu literature as well as a famous bureaucrat. He was born in Gilgit on January 26, 1917. After getting his primary education in Jammu and Kashmir, he completed his MA in English from Lahore College and joined the Indian Civil Service in 1941.

Shahab Nama By Qudrat Ullah Shahab Summary and Review.

He started the book with beautiful memories of his childhood. Reading it makes the reader realize that his childhood was pleasant yet different from other children. He does not seem superficial and contented like normal children – but seems to have an evolutionary element and high determination in his thinking. This childhood is also full of mischief, jokes, nonsense, ignorance, and romantic feelings.

In the opening chapters of Shahab Nama,  two stories  are told parallel to each other. Both these stories are riveting and informative at the same time.

In the first story, the author recounts his childhood, the ups and downs of his academic life, his family background – and describes with great devotion and utmost respect the character and personality of his father, Mohammad Abdullah. He also reveals a failed romance of his childhood with great details. 

The Second story reflects Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape at that time. The illiteracy, extremism, immorality, and bigotry of the Dogra Maharajas towards the Muslims are truly reflected in these chapters. He also narrates the simplicity, deprivation, and oppression of Jammu and Kashmir’s Muslims. The role of Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in creating political and social awareness among the Jammu and Kashmir Muslims is also highlighted.

Related: Alipur Ka Aili (Biography) By Mumtaz Mufti

Then you get to read the love story of Qudratullah Shehab and Chandrwati. The two first met dramatically at the Punjab Public Library, Lahore. A series of meetings followed that gradually turned into a deep love affair.

The story goes on and on, and we get to read about his Admission to ICS after college, success in exams, history of ICS and East India Company, deployment in Bihar province, eyewitness account of Bhagalpur riots, Aurangabad transfer, famine situation in Bengal, departure to Orissa, The atmosphere before independence, conveying the circular of the Congress to the Quaid-e-Azam, appointment as Under Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan, assuming office after reaching Karachi, and first meeting with the late Jamiluddin Ali.

And then in the last part of the book, we read about a night spent in Al-Aqsa Mosque, many spiritual events, some insights and predictions about Pakistan, and the blessings of Islam.

If you love reading biographies, this book would be a great addition to your library. It gives you insights into Pakistan’s history and Shahab’s life. You may also want to check our collection of Urdu Biography Books .

Download Shahab Nama By Qudrat Ullah Shahab.

You can read this novel online – or download the complete Shahab Nama by Qudratullah Shahab  in pdf for offline reading. Please follow the below links to read online or download this book.

Please Note: The links below are only for viewing, educational, and research purposes. We urge you to please purchase the book to support the publisher and the writer.

3 thoughts on “Shahab Nama (Autobiography) By Qudrat Ullah Shahab”

What is price of this book

Would you kindly tell me where can I get the English version of Shabnama by Qudrat Ullah Shahab.

Dear Admin at the earlist it is mentiioned that MR. Shahab was bron in Gilgit in 1917 than he mentioned the Kashmir Please elobrate it

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Today's Paper | April 04, 2024

The 10 best urdu autobiographies.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the USA, is said to have compiled several lists of ‘great books’ or ‘best books’. Since then, the concept of a list of ‘100 best books’ or ‘1,000 great books’ has been popular in the western culture. Some have prepared a list of books they wish to read before they die. Many have prepared their own lists of best books. Also, there are best book lists that have been prepared by teams of scholars.

Last week a friend of mine asked if there were any such lists in Urdu. I said as far as I could recall there were none and there could hardly be any list on which everyone agreed. She suggested somebody should start compiling a list of best Urdu books and others would join in. My idea was to start a list of the best books on the basis of genres.

So here is a list of the 10 best Urdu autobiographies. Compiled in chronological order and not in order of preference, it is based on the importance, relevance, readability and literary and cultural value. A good book does not have to be a bestseller and may not be liked by everyone. You may differ or even be surprised at some of the titles that others declare as favourites, as Andre Maurois has said: “In literature, as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by the others”. But you have a right to prepare your own list or amend this one.

Kaala paani — First published in 1884, the full title is ‘Tavaareekh-i-Ajeeb almaaroof bah kaala paani’. Jafer Thanesari (1838-1905) penned this slim volume when he returned from Andaman Islands, where he was imprisoned in January 1866 for about 20 years on the charges of ‘treason’ against the British. It may not be a complete autobiography in the real sense of the term, but it is a first-hand account of the life on these islands and gives a political and historical background of the 1857 war of freedom. It is one of the earliest Urdu autobiographies and makes a good reading, too. Recently, Sang-i-Meel Publications, Lahore, has reprinted it.

Aamaal nama — Known for its chaste Urdu and literary style, the book discusses political, social and literary issues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Written by Sir Raza Ali (1880-1849), who held important posts such as a member of the Indian Legislative Council and Agent General in South Africa, the book was first published in 1943. The author has described his life in details and in such a candid manner that few Urdu autobiographies can offer such frank insights. The book had been out of print for a few decades but Patna’s Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library published a new edition in 1992.

Mushahidaat — One of the Urdu books banned because of their contents is the autobiography of Nawab Hosh Yaar Jang Hosh Bilgirami (1894-1955). The book (1955) describes, in addition to other things, the royal courts and royal lives in princely states of Hyderabad Deccan and Rampur. Since it revealed some parts of personal lives of those who mattered, its publication provoked uproar from readers. Many pages had to be removed and stickers had to be pasted to hide many lines. But the high-ups were not satisfied and it was finally banned and confiscated in Deccan. The writer was shocked and died a few days later. Today its copies are extremely hard to find.

Naqabil-i-Faramosh — Sardar Divan Singh Maftoon (1890-1975), a journalist, began writing his memoirs while in jail in 1943. It was serialised in his newspaper ‘Riyaasat’ in 1944. When published later in book form it became much popular. Maftoon decided to rewrite it and the second, expanded edition was published in 1957. It narrates some very interesting, and true to the book’s name, unforgettable events. Maftoon had written the sequel, titled Saif-o-Qalam, but it could not get published. A Lahore publisher had reprinted Naqabil-i-Faramosh a few years ago.

Khoon baha — Hakeem Ahmed Shuja (1893-1969), a playwright, journalist and poet, grieves in this autobiography the death of some friends, relatives and dear ones. This has kind of overshadowed the entire book but still it is an interesting account of his era and contemporaries. It has a literary and scholarly touch and is valued for its flowing prose, too. First published in 1962, it ran into multiple editions, but is now out of print, though some public libraries treasure it.

Sarguzasht — Syed Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, popularly known as Z. A. Bukhari, began writing his autobiography in 1962. Serialised in the daily Hurriyet, it was published in book form in 1966. A witty and somewhat naughty fellow as Bukhari was, the book offers good glimpses of his wit, repartee and pranks. It is also part a history of broadcasting in India and Pakistan, not to mention the beautiful language.

Yaadon ki dunya — It is a well thought out and well-written autobiography by Dr Yousuf Hussain Khan, an Indian scholar. Published in 1967 and beginning from the Mughal era, the book describes the author’s life and then the vast canvass reflects the entire society. A beautiful combination of literature, history and sociology, the book is not easy to come by these days.

Yaadon ki baraat — Often dubbed as a controversial book by Josh Maleehabadi (1898-1982), it appeared in 1970 and was criticised for some of its contents that discuss Josh’s innumerable love affairs. Known for his command of the Urdu language, Josh has definitely written beautiful and inimitable prose. The narration of his early life and the environment is absorbing. Recently, Dr Hilal Naqvi found its missing pages and published them. Yaadon ki baraat is definitely one of the most interesting biographies of Urdu.

Jahan-i-Danish — Ehsaan Danish (1914-1982) was a self-made poet who earned his bread as a labourer. A self-taught man, he was ultimately recognised as a poet and scholar. The autobiography teaches lessons in courage. One learns to face the world in extreme poverty and rise. First published in 1975, a few years ago it was reprinted with its second part.

Zarguzasht: Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi is today considered Urdu’s foremost humorist. His autobiography first appeared in 1976 and has been reprinted many times over. Yousufi Sahib believes that sense of humour is in fact the sixth sense and if one possesses this sixth sense, one can go through all the hardships of life smilingly. That is exactly what he has done while narrating his career as a banker: he smiles at difficulties and laughs troubles off. It’s a “must read” for anyone.

Shahab nama: Qudratullah Shahab (1917-1986) was a top bureaucrat, but in essence he was a fiction writer. This has also reflected in his autobiography and Mushfiq Khwaja, a close friend of Shahab’s, has also called it ‘fiction’. Some unbelievable incidents apart, it reveals the sorry state of affairs of a nascent country whose people were deprived of democracy. The early portion describing the British Raj also makes an absorbing reading. It is one of the bestsellers in recent history.

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Mitti Ka Diya By Mirza Adeeb

The autobiographical Urdu book Mitti Ka Diya was written by Mirza Adeeb. A first edition was published in 1981. An earlier version of this biography appeared in publications such as Planet Digest, Urdu Digest, and National Digest before its official publication.

Table of Contents

Mitti Ka Diya Book Summary

In this Autobiography book Mitti Ka Diya, the author discusses his educational life in extensive detail, describing how school life evolved into college study. There were strict rules for teachers with students during that time period, as he outlined the teaching methods of the time. In addition, he describes with extreme devotion those professors who gave him the chance to explore and learn during his college years. These professors played a crucial role in helping him develop his character.

The life of Mirza Adeeb was marked by struggles and financial hardships until he reached college. Therefore, he began looking for a job as soon as he graduated from college. At the request of Chaudhry Barkat Ali, he accepted the editorship of the monthly “Adab e Latif” in December 1935 for a salary of Rs. 25 per month. He made this decision as a defining moment in his life because it marks the beginning of his literary and practical career.

It’s clear that Mirza Adib wrote his autobiography with remarkable authenticity. In no way did he exaggerate or lie about himself, his family, or his friends. Their portrayals are as true to life as they were in real life.

Read Urdu Autobigraphy books

• Ali Pur Ka Aili By Mumtaz Mufti
• Shahab Nama By Qudratullah Shahab
• Aag Ka Darya Book By Qurratulain Hyder
• Buri Aurat Ki Katha By Kishwar Naheed

Generally speaking, “Mati Ka Diya” is both influential and captivating. The book presents a complete picture of Mirza Adib’s life and character. Throughout the darkest of hours, a man sought light for himself.

Mitti Ka Diya is the story of a man who lived his life by feeling every single moment. He saw the world around him as a spectacle, not as a spectator.

Analyzing such massive books and their past is difficult. I am either a victim of a fast pace or a slow pace when it comes to Urdu. My profession involves words. I love words, regardless of how they forget me. The first two and a half hundred pages of Mirza Adib’s autobiography were extremely boring to me. Mirza Adib and I always seem to be in harmony on these pages. These pages are full of technical and artistic abilities that convey strong emotions.

Mirza Adeeb Stories List

• Bacho’n ke Drama
• Lamhon Ki Raakh
• Sehra Naward Ke Khatoot
• Nakhun Ka Qarz
• Naani Ama ki ainak
• Pas-e-Pardah
• Kirno Se Bandhay Haath
• Ihsaan Ka Badla
• Khizan Dar Khizan

According to Mushfiqur Khawaja, Mirza Adib lived a life in which he felt every moment. And in this book, the reader feels this again and again. And the rest of the pages are quite informative. The last two parts of the book are sketches. Having these sketches compiled from different perspectives makes them unique.

Final Thoughts

In his influential Urdu autobiography Mitti Ka Diya, Mirza Adeeb provides an authentic account of his life struggles and experiences. The book depicts his educational journey and early financial hardships in a captivating way. It highlights the life story of a man who lived each moment fully and sought light through the darkest of times. Overall, Mitti Ka Diya biography Book allows readers to immerse themselves in Mirza Adeeb’s remarkable life journey.

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• Index of Books 4393

• Article Collection 1 Autobiography 16 Bibliography 1 Biography 404 Catalogue / Index 15 Children's Literature 7 Islamiyaat 1 Moral and Ethical 1 Nazm 1 Personality 3 Story 2 Constitution 1 Diary 8 Dictionary 10 Directory 1 Drama 11 Education 1 Environment 1 Essays & Profiles 15 Essays 11 Profiles 4 Feminism 3 Fiction 74 Dastaan 50 Folk Song 4 Folk tales 1 Freedom Movement 1 Geography 2 Hikayaat 23 History 162 Cultural History 11 History Of Literature 9 Indian 101 Islamic History 17 World 5 Humorous 3 Prose 3 Idioms 5 Islamiyat 7 kavita 3 Language & Literature 48 Criticism 3 History 5 IntiKhab 3 Language 16 Tazkira 9 Lateefe 1 Law 2 Lectures 12 Letters 26 Life Style 1 Linguistics 2 Manuscript 5 Medicine 6 Memoir 3 Monograph 13 Moral and Ethical 55 Movements 6 political movements 3 Religious Movements 3 Music 11 Novel 11 Biographical 1 Historical 2 Others 16 Philosophy 16 Political 5 India 3 world 2 Prosody 3 Psychology 1 Publications Of Munshi Naval Kishore 173 Religions 70 Buddhism 2 Islamiyat 61 Sikhism 7 Research & Criticism 189 Aestheticism 1 Articles / Papers 39 Autobiography 1 Biography 1 Compiled 2 Criticism 30 Dastaan 1 Essays 1 History 1 Iqbaliyat 4 Masnavi 1 Naat 1 Poetry 62 Prose 1 Quatrain 2 Research 42 Short-story 1 Tazkira 3 Reviews 6 Science 3 Short-story 10 Symbolic / Artistic Stories 1 Sketches 4 Sketches: History & Criticism 3 Social issues 2 Sufism / Mystic 880 Discourses 83 Tazkira 191 Text Books 12 Criticism 1 Non Fiction 4 Poetry 5 Translation 298 Autobiography 9 Biography 16 Dastaan 4 Diary 1 Drama 1 Epics 2 Essays 1 Hikayaat 5 History 24 Islamiyat 12 Lecture 1 Letter 8 Medicine 4 Poetry 72 Science 1 Short Story 3 Sufism / Mystic 62 Translation: History & Criticism 2 Travelogue 2 Travelogue 8 Women's writings 88 Autobiography 1 Biography 2 Compilation 10 Criticism 6 Drama 1 Novel 1 Poetry 1 Stories 1 Women's Translations 2
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Mirza Ghalib

1797 - 1869 Delhi

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Deewan-e-Ghalib Urdu

Meer Taqi Meer

1723 - 1810 Delhi

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Dagh Dehlvi

1831 - 1905 Delhi

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Mahtab-e-Dagh ma' Zameema Yadgar-e-Dagh

Allama Iqbal

1877 - 1938 Lahore

Jaaved Naama

Allama Iqbal : Taqreerein, Tahreerein Aur Bayanat

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1911 - 1984 Lahore

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A Warhol Superstar, but Never a Star

Cynthia Carr’s compassionate biography chronicles the brief, poignant life of the transgender actress Candy Darling, whose “very existence was radical.”

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CANDY DARLING: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar, by Cynthia Carr

Never mind soup-can paintings and portraits of the famous — what Andy Warhol keeps on giving is books . He’s like Mother Ginger in “The Nutcracker” : Smaller people keep running out from under his capacious skirts to bow or curtsy.

The latest is Candy Darling, the transgender actress who succumbed to cancer at 29 in 1974 , after being immortalized in a famous photograph by Peter Hujar and in the Lou Reed song “ Walk on the Wild Side .” She had lived fast — indeed frequently on speed — died young, and left a mutable corpse, with considerable dissent among family and friends about whether she should be buried and eulogized as a man or a woman.

The first full-length biography of her, by Cynthia Carr, a longtime staff writer for The Village Voice — quite the Mother Ginger itself, of late — is compassionate and meticulous, reconstructing its brittle, gleaming subject as one might a broken Meissen figurine.

Born the day after Thanksgiving in 1944, Candy Darling was christened James Lawrence Slattery in Queens, soon moving to the ticky-tacky conformist hamlets of North Merrick and then Massapequa Park, Long Island, which she’d later euphemize as her “country home” but which was then an apparent cesspool of toxic masculinity.

Her father, John, was a cashier for the New York Racing Association who gambled, drank and was violent: the ultimate Daddy Dearest for a child with effeminate tendencies. Her mother, Terry, a receptionist and bank teller, was more supportive and loving — but still, hamstrung by shame. Candy’s half brother, Warren, babysat for her as a child but did not accept her as a woman.

As a child, “Jimmy,” as Candy was known then, was shunned socially and bullied terribly, once ushered onto a box and into a noose by two teenagers in a neighbor’s backyard. Understandably, she avoided regular school as much as possible; her education was in magazines, cosmetology and, of course, movies — she was a Kim Novak superfan, later emulating her.

She worked briefly at a beauty parlor, whose sympathetic owner she took on adventures like horseback riding. “We can always imagine we’re out in the wide-open spaces,” she said dreamily. “And if you imagine it strong enough, you will be.”

Like Ada Calhoun, the daughter of the art critic Peter Schjeldahl who took over his unfinished biography of the poet Frank O’Hara with sparkling results , Carr gets a boost from someone else’s abandoned legwork. Darling’s close friend Jeremiah Newton interviewed many of her intimates before they died — he features prominently in a 2011 documentary, “ Beautiful Darling ” — and shared copious photos, letters and the diaries that Darling began keeping at 13 (some previously published ). One is titled “The Worst Years of My Life.”

Carr spares us the ponderous establishing shots that weigh down many books of this genre. Though “Worst Years” covers the early ’60s, for example, the only mention of John F. Kennedy in Carr’s book comes via a fan taking a picture of Marilyn Monroe the night she sang for his birthday. Candy Darling was apolitical, the author writes — she had a wistful incandescence more than a “fire in the belly” (as Carr titled a previous book about the artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz) — “yet her very existence was radical.”

She and the future Holly Woodlawn, another Warhol favorite, both toiled as file clerks and got out of the draft, Holly by showing up in hot pants and rouge; Candy by bursting into tears.

Stardom was Darling’s absolute raison d’être. You might argue that she was not only transgender but trans-era, longing to be a product and protectorate of the studio system. Alas, Warhol was no Louis B. Mayer, his films mostly art-house experiments — Carr is heroic at summarizing them — and when Darling finally gets to Los Angeles, for the premiere of his movie “ Women in Revolt ” (titled “Sex” at the time), the closest thing she gets to a break is broken promises from a drunk Ed McMahon needing roadside assistance. She does appear for about 15 seconds, uncredited, in the nightclub scene of “Klute, ” and for a while dated Roger Vadim.

Starring in Tennessee Williams’s late-career work “Small Craft Warnings” off Broadway was another high point — though even then neither the male nor the female actors wanted her in their dressing room, and she was consigned to a broom closet. She appeared in a Warhol-staged fashion show for Halston, but was only allowed to wear a maid’s costume.

Darling kept her chin up despite these humiliations, but again and again the rest of her body betrayed her. (Poverty and drugs didn’t help.) By 18, she’d lost almost a third of her teeth. She agonized about what she called “my flaw” — the pesky penis — but vacillated on what the publicist R. Couri Hay, one of those who eulogized her using the masculine pronoun, termed “the final cut.”

The massive quantities of unregulated female hormones she took, doctors and others thought, probably killed her — and yet dying young was in keeping with her fantasy of kinship to platinum-haired idols like Jean Harlow. Sardonic to the end, she joked that the presumed tumor hardening her belly was some kind of immaculate conception.

In a society ill equipped to accept her, Candy Darling’s short life was one of couch-surfing and cadging, which can make for some weird and grotty pages — oh, there’s a desiccated chicken under the bed. Many of those who remember her are unreliable narrators. But, as Carr notes: “All of them so delightful!” Bob Colacello, the O.G. Warhol chronicler, wrote that news of her fatal illness led to the only time he’d seen the artist cry.

There wasn’t really vocabulary to describe the territory Darling was exploring back then — maybe there’s too much vocabulary now, but that’s a different conversation — and her biographer extends a sure hand across the breach. To push her from the Warhol wings to center stage, at a moment when transgender rights are in roiling flux, just makes sense.

And you have to cheer when Tennessee Williams is asked by some rude person whether his star is a transsexual or a transvestite, and he roars back: “What a question to ask a lady!”

CANDY DARLING : Dreamer, Icon, Superstar | By Cynthia Carr | Farrar, Straus & Giroux | 432 pp. | $30

Alexandra Jacobs is a Times book critic and occasional features writer. She joined The Times in 2010. More about Alexandra Jacobs

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Autobiography. Browse here a collection of urdu autobiographies and discover the next best read. You can find out top autobiography books on this page, selected by Rekhta for Urdu Ebook readers. Rekhta Ebooks site has the best collection of autobiographies.

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Clear rating. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 2. Baba Sahiba / بابا صاحبا. by. Ashfaq Ahmed. 4.41 avg rating — 249 ratings. score: 288 , and 3 people voted. Want to Read.

Shahab Nama is arguably the most influential and significant literary work in Urdu literature. It is an autobiography of Qudrat Ullah Shahab, where he has narrated the details about the events, circumstances, and observations at different stages throughout his life.It is a biography without which the study of Pakistan's history is incomplete.

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Mitti Ka Diya / مٹی کا دیا by Mirza Adeeb. The autobiographical Urdu book Mitti Ka Diya was written by Mirza Adeeb. A first edition was published in 1981. An earlier version of this biography appeared in publications such as Planet Digest, Urdu Digest, and National Digest before its official publication. Mitti Ka Diya Book Summary.

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Shahab Nama (Urdu: شہاب نامہ, lit. 'Book of Shahab'; pronounced [ʃə'ɦaːb naːma]) is an Urdu autobiography by renowned Pakistani writer and diplomat Qudrat Ullah Shahab. It is an eyewitness account of the background of the subcontinent's Muslims' independence movement and of the demand, establishment and history of Pakistan. The ...

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Deion Sanders Still Believes in 'The Little Engine That Could'. That kids' classic "completely changed my life," says the former football star, now the University of Colorado's ...

The value of Yogananda's Autobiography is greatly enhanced by the fact that it is one of the few books about the wise men of India which have been written, not by a journalist or foreigner, but by one of their own race and training - in short, a book about yogi by a yogi. Countless readers of his autobiography have attested to the presence in its pages of that same light of spiritual authority ...

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1-48 of over 100,000 results for "autobiography books" Results. Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. by Matthew Perry. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 44,821. Hardcover. ... The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions. by David Marshall and Carl Marshall. 4.6 out of 5 stars ...

Cynthia Carr's compassionate biography chronicles the brief, poignant life of the transgender actress Candy Darling, whose "very existence was radical." By Alexandra Jacobs CANDY DARLING ...

Essay on Indian Culture for Students and Children

500+ words essay on indian culture.

India is a country that boasts of a rich culture. The culture of India refers to a collection of minor unique cultures. The culture of India comprises of clothing, festivals, languages, religions, music, dance, architecture, food, and art in India. Most noteworthy, Indian culture has been influenced by several foreign cultures throughout its history. Also, the history of India’s culture is several millennia old.

Components of Indian Culture

First of all, Indian origin religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism . All of these religions are based on karma and dharma. Furthermore, these four are called as Indian religions. Indian religions are a major category of world religions along with Abrahamic religions.

Also, many foreign religions are present in India as well. These foreign religions include Abrahamic religions. The Abrahamic religions in India certainly are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Besides Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrianism and Bahá’í Faith are the other foreign religions which exist in India. Consequently, the presence of so many diverse religions has given rise to tolerance and secularism in Indian culture.

The Joint family system is the prevailing system of Indian culture . Most noteworthy, the family members consist of parents, children, children’s spouses, and offspring. All of these family members live together. Furthermore, the eldest male member is the head of the family.

Arranged marriages are the norm in Indian culture. Probably most Indians have their marriages planned by their parents. In almost all Indian marriages, the bride’s family gives dowry to bridegroom. Weddings are certainly festive occasions in Indian culture. There is involvement of striking decorations, clothing, music, dance, rituals in Indian weddings. Most noteworthy, the divorce rates in India are very low.

India celebrates a huge number of festivals. These festivals are very diverse due to multi-religious and multi-cultural Indian society. Indians greatly value festive occasions. Above all, the whole country joins in the celebrations irrespective of the differences.

Traditional Indian food, arts, music, sports, clothing, and architecture vary significantly across different regions. These components are influenced by various factors. Above all, these factors are geography, climate, culture, and rural/urban setting.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Perceptions of Indian Culture

Indian culture has been an inspiration to many writers. India is certainly a symbol of unity around the world. Indian culture is certainly very complex. Furthermore, the conception of Indian identity poses certain difficulties. However, despite this, a typical Indian culture does exist. The creation of this typical Indian culture results from some internal forces. Above all, these forces are a robust Constitution, universal adult franchise, secular policy , flexible federal structure, etc.

Indian culture is characterized by a strict social hierarchy. Furthermore, Indian children are taught their roles and place in society from an early age. Probably, many Indians believe that gods and spirits have a role in determining their life. Earlier, traditional Hindus were divided into polluting and non-polluting occupations. Now, this difference is declining.

Indian culture is certainly very diverse. Also, Indian children learn and assimilate in the differences. In recent decades, huge changes have taken place in Indian culture. Above all, these changes are female empowerment , westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy , improved education, etc.

To sum it up, the culture of India is one of the oldest cultures in the World. Above all, many Indians till stick to the traditional Indian culture in spite of rapid westernization. Indians have demonstrated strong unity irrespective of the diversity among them. Unity in Diversity is the ultimate mantra of Indian culture.

FAQs on Indian Culture

Q1 What are the Indian religions?

A1 Indian religions refer to a major category of religion. Most noteworthy, these religions have their origin in India. Furthermore, the major Indian religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Q2 What are changes that have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades?

A2 Certainly, many changes have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades. Above all, these changes are female empowerment, westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy, improved education, etc.

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Essay on Indian Culture

Students are often asked to write an essay on Indian Culture in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Indian Culture

Introduction.

Indian culture, one of the world’s oldest, is a rich mosaic of languages, religions, traditions, and arts. It’s known for its philosophical depth and diverse cultural expressions.

Religions and Spirituality

India is the birthplace of religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. These religions influence Indian thought, lifestyle, and traditions.

Languages and Literature

India is linguistically diverse with 22 officially recognized languages and thousands of dialects. Indian literature, ancient and modern, reflects this diversity.

Art and Architecture

Indian art and architecture, from the intricate carvings of temples to the vibrant folk arts, showcase the country’s creative spirit.

Indian culture, with its profound wisdom and vibrant expressions, continues to inspire and shape the world. It is a treasure to explore and cherish.

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250 Words Essay on Indian Culture

Indian culture, one of the world’s oldest, is a rich mosaic of diverse traditions, languages, and religions. It is a composite synthesis of various customs, traditions, and philosophies that have been nurtured and assimilated over millennia.

Unity in Diversity

The phrase “Unity in Diversity” encapsulates the essence of Indian culture. Despite being home to multiple religions, languages, and ethnic groups, India exhibits an underlying unity that stems from shared cultural values and traditions. This diversity is a testament to the country’s resilience and adaptability, allowing it to absorb and integrate different cultural influences while maintaining its unique identity.

Cultural Practices

Indian culture is renowned for its rich tapestry of cultural practices. From yoga and meditation, which have their roots in ancient Vedic philosophy, to the vibrant festivals like Diwali and Holi, Indian cultural practices are deeply rooted in spirituality and communal harmony.

Art and Literature

Indian art and literature are other significant aspects of the culture. The country has a rich literary heritage that spans ancient scriptures like the Vedas and epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Similarly, Indian art forms, whether it’s the intricate Madhubani paintings or the graceful Kathak dance, reflect the diverse cultural ethos of the country.

In conclusion, Indian culture is a complex and vibrant blend of various elements. It is a testament to the country’s rich history and its ability to harmoniously blend diverse influences. As students, understanding and appreciating this diversity can broaden our perspectives and foster a sense of global citizenship.

500 Words Essay on Indian Culture

The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old. It is a rich tapestry of diverse traditions, art forms, and philosophies that have shaped the country’s people and their way of life.

A striking aspect of Indian culture is its unity in diversity. India is a confluence of diverse languages, religions, and regional traditions. This diversity is celebrated and respected, underpinning the Indian ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family. Despite the myriad of cultures, there is an underlying unity that binds the country together. This unity is evident in the shared history, common festivals, and mutual respect for different faiths.

Religion and Spirituality

Religion plays a pivotal role in Indian culture, shaping its rituals, festivals, music, and art. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism originated in India, while Christianity, Islam, and other religions found a hospitable environment for growth. The Indian ethos is deeply rooted in spirituality, with practices like yoga and meditation becoming globally recognized for promoting mental and physical well-being.

Indian art and architecture reflect the country’s socio-cultural evolution. From the intricate carvings of ancient temples to the Mughal architecture, the diversity is awe-inspiring. Indian art, too, is diverse and distinctive, with various forms such as Madhubani, Warli, and Tanjore painting. The performing arts, including various dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Kathakali, and music genres like Hindustani and Carnatic, add to the cultural richness.

Language and Literature

India is linguistically diverse, with over 1,600 spoken languages. Two of these, Hindi and Bengali, are among the most spoken languages in the world. Indian literature, ancient and modern, in languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, and English, has contributed significantly to the world literary scene, with works like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and writings of Rabindranath Tagore and R.K. Narayan.

Food and Clothing

Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the local agriculture, culture, and history. It is known for its robust flavors, extensive use of spices, and a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Traditional Indian clothing varies with region but commonly includes garments such as sarees for women and dhotis or kurta-pajamas for men.

The Indian culture, with its diverse and inclusive nature, has a unique identity that has evolved over thousands of years. It is a testament to the country’s resilience, adaptability, and openness to change while holding onto its roots. This rich cultural heritage, which is both ancient and progressive, is India’s true strength and pride. As India continues to grow and evolve, its culture serves as a guiding light, reminding the nation of its past, shaping its present, and influencing its future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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