Characteristics and Values of Indian Culture

he culture of India refers to the way of life of the people of India. India's languages, religions,
dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The
Indian culture, often labelled as an amalgamation of several cultures.
CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN CULTURE

Religiosity

India is a religious country, and almost all the people sincerely believe in religion. Religion
touches every corner of the Indian society and the soul of all the ordinary people, thus
maintaining tight and close links with Indian society, politics, economy, military, art and
literature. Indian people witness the great and irresistible pacts imposed by religion on
themselves in every aspect of life. In short, Life will have no meaning without religion

Diversity

Diversity stands out as one of the most prominent characteristics of the Indian cultural system.
Within this system, there are different cultural elements such as Hellenic culture, Islamic culture,
Persian culture, English culture and Chinese culture. The reason for this diversity is multifaceted
and the most important factor is the alien cultures brought to India by invaders.

Inclusiveness

Inclusiveness is another salient characteristic of Indian culture that distinguishes it from other
cultures. Of all kinds of local cultures, linguistic cultures and religious cultures of India in
history, each contains a variety of elements in part from alien cultures

Regionalism of Culture of a Tropical Subcontinent

Being a result of the particular geographic environment and climate, regionalism is the unique
characteristic of Indian culture, which some scholars tend to call the "culture of the tropical
subcontinent". From a geographic point of view, the Indian subcontinent is just like an isolated
island projecting into the Indian Ocean. The geographic separation and scorching weather are the
main external factors contributing to the regionalism of Indian culture. Snow covers the
Himalayas, the towering world roof, all year long and no one would set foot on the tops of
these mountains in the winter . Oceans and seas surround India in the east, west and south. The
only land which links it to the outside world in the east and west is also blocked by mountains,
forests and deserts
VALUES OF INDIAN CULTURE

Material Values

The material value on which Indian culture puts emphasis is the perfect devotion/commitment of
humans. Though enjoyment of material values is a part of Indian cultural values, it is only a part
and cannot represent the ultimate goal the Indian cultural values pursue, that is, to realize the
perfect devotion of humans.

Social and Political Values

The social and political values of Indian culture are that humans should intend to create a
harmonious environment, using the eternal law of the cosmos to normalize their own conducts in
order to reach the ultimate stage of oneness with Brahman-atman.

Spiritual Values

The ultimate goal that the spiritual values of Indian culture pursue is to realize the oneness of
Brahman-atman, which is the only way for final salvation. India is a religious country. As early
as the Vedic era, Indians had a strong belief that some kind of individual personality existed after
death, which was considered to be the primitive soul of a human.

Nonviolent Thinking in Indian Cultural Values