Peoples of India: the distinctiveness of the settlement and traditions

Located on the Indian subcontinent in South Asia, India is the world's seventh largest area (over 3 million km2) and second in population (1 billion 130 million). This huge colorful country to accommodate its vast diversity of national interests and norms of behavior. The various peoples of India living in one common area, at times very different in their beliefs, traditions and culture.

Population of India

The Population of this Asian country is extremely diverse. This adamancy, and barhary, and buresi, and phily, and dogri, and kachari, and Kulu, and Manipuri and Santal, and Sherpa and others. The largest main peoples of India – Marathi, Tamils, the Bengalis, the gujaratis, hindustanis, cannara, Telugu and Punjabi.

Eighty percent of India's population are Hindus, about fourteen percent – Muslims, two percent – the Christians and the Sikhs, less than one percent are Buddhist.

West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and the States of Kashmir, Jammu predominantly inhabited by Muslim communities. In the South and the North-East of the country and in the city of Bombay is mostly inhabited by Christians. Punjab and the adjacent areas populated by Sikhs, and the Himalayan region, part of Jammu and Kashmir – the Buddhists.

Languages spoken

The multinational peoples of India, subject to two national language – Hindi and English. Today the total number of recognized official languages is equal to eighteen. Thirteen of them belong to Indo-Aryan, one Tibetan and four – to draveski language groups.

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The Most common language in this country is Hindi, they are more than three hundred million people. But in the Northern States of India it has official status. Also the people of India speak Indo-Aryan languages such as Bengali and orilla, and assami Kashmiri, Konkani, and Nepali, Gujarati and Marathi, Punjabi. Muslims in the North and the South of India speak Urdu. In connection with the presence of many Pakistani immigrants in the state of Gujarat bordering Pakistan, here distributed language Sindhi.

In the southern part of India among the population mainly dominated by the Dravidian language group. Four languages included in its composition, have the status of officially recognized. These include Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam.

In the North-East of the state for the most part speak Manipuri and other Tibetan languages.

Indian tradition

It Should be noted that the customs and traditions of the people of India quite different from the European. A feature of the country is the presence of multiple religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, which brings its own characteristics in the style of living of the population.

Unlike the European population in India very rarely shake hands, but hugs and kisses do not rely. Greeting each other, Indians put my hands together and uttered the phrase “RAM” or “Namaste”. Women to shake hands is not generally accepted. But parents in this country greet by bowing at his feet.

All the people of India, hold sacred, and respect for cows. They are considered here as sacred animals. Eating beef is strictly forbidden, and for killing or harming a cow in this country to face even life imprisonment. Also in India, a very revered monkeys.

In the sacred places of worship and temples be sure shoes are taken off. At the entrance it is left in storage or sold covers for the legs, similar to the overshoes. In the sitting position it is impossible to direct the feet on other people and the altar. In India it is not customary to expose various religious paraphernalia.

Clothing of the people of India

The people of India give a lot of importance to their clothes. Her style is due to the originality of culture and life, the diversity of nationalities and religious faiths. These features affect the clothing of the population, but some common features are still present.

As a rule, it is made from lightweight fabric with a predominance of white. Male headdress is colorful and diverse part of the costume.

Women dressed in elegant saris, often prefer a variety of jewelry, such as bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces.

However, the poor people of India are extremely simply dressed. Quite often, their body enveloped in a white cloth, and shoes absent.