Western influence on Indian Culture

Each nation have their own culture and in other way we can say the culture gives the identity of that nation. The culture is not something that is static to have in possession but a process of growth through the means of education, discipline , training and many other things.

If we are making a realistic approach to the Indian culture and the influence that it had by the western culture, I think the effect that she has got is negative more than positive. Because the western and Indian cultures are diametrically opposed. The reason for this is that western culture is based on the principles of materialism, whereas the Indian culture is based on the tenets and principles of spiritualism. Materialism always goes after or stands for worldly possessions, wealth, gaining material things etc., but the spiritualism always stands for moral values, ethics, virtues and the power to distinguish between right and wrong, between right and wrong, between good and evil, between correct and incorrect etc.

But the new generation in India is changed a lot in all the spheres of their life because of the western influence. Now the people especially in the urban area are after liberty and materialism. The people now forget what is their inner real voice want from them to do. Now the tragic is the inner generation wants freedom without any responsibility along with it. I too agree that it is essential to have material possessions in this world but I would say the attainment of worldly possessions overriding morals and ethics and virtues surely will destroy the human being.
We need wealth to make our lives comfortable and to improve our quality of living, but at the same time we must remember that in the process of acquiring the above, we must never lose our power of distinguishing right from wrong, good from evil, and must allow the ecclesiastical to rule over the material. They have no time to meet their fellow brethren, but they have time to visit their psychiatrists in search of mental peace and satisfaction. From the west some people come to India and head for the Himalayas in search of spiritual gurus to attain solace.

Here what I wanted to say is when we adapt something from outside to our own identity we have to be very attentive and we should not lose our own identity to adapt a new one. Because I believe the basic structure of human mind which is constituted also by the culture where one born, can never change by other cultures.

KERALA, God's own country

Kerala is literally means “the land of coconuts”. Kerala, the land of rivers and backwaters is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula, a state with full literacy, Higher Health care and lower mortality ratio. Malayalam is the official language of Kerala. It belongs to the Dravidian languages category. The language is rich in literature as many literary

Isolated from the deccan plateau by the mountanious belt of the Western Ghats, but with a long coastline open to foreign influences, Kerala has evolved a unique culture. It is a highly politicized region, but has a long tradition of religious amity. It is an educationally advanced state with its own language, Malayalam, and has the highest rate of literacy (100%) among Indian states. Women in Kerala enjoy a high social status, thanks perhaps to its historic matrilineal system. Art forms of Kerala range from Kalaripayattu, the martial art believed to be the origin of various other oriental ones, to Kathakali, one of the dance forms of Kerala considered to be amongst the oldest indian dance styles. The elegant snake boat races have always been the favorite of tourists visiting Kerala.

Kerala is a land of great natural beauty. From the majestic heights of the Western Ghats the country undulates westward presenting a vista of silent valleys clothed in the richest green. Among the many rivers that glide across the plains to merge their waters with the Arabian sea, the more important are the Periyar, the Pamba and the Bharatha puzha. The elegant waterfalls at Athirampally near Trichur is a popular tourist spot. Along the coast, sand dunes shelter a linked chain of lagoons and backwaters the still waters of which are studded with sea-gulls and country canoes plying at a snails pace. The silence of the clear skies is broken only by the coos of koels, a type of cuckoo, and the frequent flutter of cranes perched on the embankments. The highest peak of peninsular India Annai Mudi is located in this state. The scenic Thekkady Wild Life Sanctuary is a popular vacation destination for nature lovers.

Christianity in India

Christianity in India, in fact, is as old as Christianity itself. And the traditions say that it was brought to India by a disciple of Christ himself. The traditions say that St. Thomas came to India in 52 A.D. ,and landed at Kodungallur, Kerala. He preached the gospel and many people received faith.
There are 25 million christians in india which id just below 2% of the total population of the country. I think it is slightly more than the entire population of some countries in Europe. There are parts of India as heavily Christians as any part of Europe or America, eg., Kerala, Goa, Misoram. Kerala has the large number of Christians among all other states in India.

Christians including Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants from the third largest group in India. It is estimated that about 73% of the Christians in India are Catholics. And the catholic church in India is composed of three individual churches, Latin, Malabar and Malankara churches, with their own independent hierarchies. Diversity of Christians is noticeable: Syrian Christians, Knanaya Christians, Goan Christians, Tamil Christians, Anglo-Indians, Naga Christians, etc. They differ in language, social customs and economic prosperity. Christians Occupy high positions: cabinet ministers, governors of states, high court judges, University vice-chancellors, top-ranking officers, etc. Christians also have been the main contributors to education in India. Their contribution in the social work is out of all proportion to their numbers.

Kerala is the cradle of Christianity in India. There the Christians play a decisive role in the fields of education, social work and even in politics. In 1959 it moved Pundit Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, to remark (on the occasion of the dismissal of the Communist Government of Kerala) that the Christians of Kerala are a power to be counted on. 22% of the population of Kerala is Christian. In the educational field, the work of the Christians of Kerala has been noteworthy and it is due to their efforts together with that of the government and of other religious and cultural groups that Kerala became the leading state in India for literacy

India, cradle of RELIGIONS

India is known as the land of spirituality and even more i would way the cradle of religion. Because it is the birth place of some religions which even exist today in this world. The main religions in India is Hinduism, Christians, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.
The most dominant religion in India today is Hinduism. About 80% of Indians are Hindus. Hinduism is a colorful religion with a vast gallery of Gods and Goddesses. Hinduism is one of the ancient religions in the world. It is supposed to have developed about 5000 years ago. In reality we can say this is derived from the Indus valley culture, I would say a culture became a religion step by step for years. It is around 500 BC two other religions, Buddhism and Jainism, developed in India. Today it is only about 0.5% of Indians are Jains and about 0.7% are Buddhist. In ancient times Jainism and specially Buddhism were very popular in India. Indians who accepted Buddhist philosophy spread it not only within the Indian sub-continent but also to kingdoms east and south of India.
One comparatively new religion in India is Sikhism and it was established in the 15th century. About 2% of Indians are Sikhs. There were other attempts to create new religions in India but they did not always succeed. For example, a Moghul emperor, Akbar, who reigned between 1556 - 1605, tried to establish a new religion, Din- E- Elahi, but it did not survive. There are other religious philosophies whose believers see themselves as a separate religion, but they do not always get this recognition. For example Lingayat of south India see themselves as a different religion, while others see them as a sect of Hinduism. There are also some tribal communities who demand to be recognized as separate religion from Hinduism.
Along with the religions that developed in India, there are followers of non- Indian religions. The largest non-Indian religion is Islam. They are about 12% of India's population. Christians are less than 2% of India's population. There are also Zoroastrians who even though make less than 0.01% of India's population, are known around India. There are also a few thousand Jews in India. Judaism and Christianity might have arrived in India before they arrived in Europe.

Indian Art

The art that can be seen all over india shows in a certain extend her culture and her growth throughout the ages. Mainly the Indian art depics the inner feeling of her culure. The scope of the art interwines with the history, religious and philosophies which place art prodiction and patronage in social and cultural contexts.
Art in india can be classified into specific periods from the ancient period (3500 BC) to the post modernism in which each reflecting particular religious, political and cultural developments. India art is constantly challenged as it rises to the peak of achieving the ideals of one philosophy in a visual form, then begins anew for another. This challenge and revolution in thought provides, Indian artists with reason for innovation and creation, and the process of visualizing abstract iedeas and the culture of the land.
It so interest to have a look at the Indian art because in india each religion and philosophical system provides its own nuances, vast metaphors and similes, rich associations, wild imaginations, humanization of gods and celestial beings, characterization of people, the single purpose and ideal of life to be interpreted in art.
In the development of Indian art we can see there are different kinds of arts that is being existed in india. Rock- cut art, Indian Fresco, Folk and tribal art, visual art etc.

Rock- cut art
The earliest Indian religions had contributed much to the Indian culture and art. It is Buddhism which took the initiative in rock cut art. After the Buddhist initiative, Hindus and Jains started to imitate them and it is evident in the caves of Badami, Aihole, Ellora, Salsette, Elephanta, Aurangabad and Mamallapuram. Indian rock art has continuously evolved to suit different purposes, social and religious contexts and regional differences.

Indian Fresco
The art of Indian fresco is an art that use the technique of frescos. A smooth batter of limestone mixture is applied over the stones, which took two to three days to set. Within a short span, such large painting were painted with natural organic pigments.

Folk and tribal art
Folk and tribal art is an art where life and creativity are inseparable. In india this art takes on different manifestations through varied medium such as pottery painting, metalwork, paper-art, weaving and designing of artefacts such as jewellery and toys. The tribal arts have a unique sensitivity, as the tribal people possess an intense awareness. Their minds are supple and intense with myth, legends, snippets from epic, multitudinous gods born out of dream and fantasy. Their art is an expression of their life and holds their passion and mystery.
Folk art also includes the visual expressions of the wandering nomads. This is the art of people who are exposed to changing landscapes as they travel over the valleys and highlands of India. They carry with them the experiences and memories of different spaces and their art consists of the transient and dynamic pattern of life.
The folk spirit has a tremendous role to play in the development of art and in the overall consciousness of indigenous cultures. The Taj Mahal, the Ajanta and Ellora caves have become world famous.
British colonial rule had a great impact on Indian art. Rabindranath Tagore is known as the father of Modern Indian art.

TAJ MAHAL, a sign of True Love

True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, Nor can it be hidden where it truly does.
Whenever we speak or hear about India, immediately a picture flower in our mind, it is nothing but the Taj Mahal, the great testimony of pure love. which was built under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Even though I have seen many photos of the Taj Mahal, there is a particular photo that struck my mind so much.
This photo is the front view of the Taj Mahal and it is taken in the evening time when the yellow colored tender rays of sun falls on the left side of the Taj Mahal. There are four main features in this photo. The back ground, the building, the pillars and the lake. We can see the back ground is blue the color of sky mixed with the color of the rays of downing sun means a bit reddish. And the building we can see the base of the building, on the base, the main body which is divided into main entrance and two small portions both sides of the entrance. Inside the main entrance we can see two ventilators up and down and both sides of the main entrance we can see four ventilators. On the top of the main entrance there is a big dome and the top of the each sides of the building there are two small domes. Top of these three domes there are finials. In the four ankles of the basement there are four pillars. As it is quite natural, even though the four pillars are in the same height, in the photo we can see two pillars that are in front of the Taj Mahal looks higher than the other two. The other important feature is in front of the building, like the nave in the cathedrals and big basilicas, there is a lake and both sides of the lake is decorated with the small trees. And the most important thing is the image of the Taj Mahal we can see as it is in the water.
The message that I would like to draw from this photo is, this is a monument of love and we can see the image as it is in the water that flows in front of Taj Mahal. True love is like that. Love somebody, we can see that love the person to whom we love in its clarity and depth.
True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, Nor can it be hidden where it truly does.

A 'devine' attack to her heart

India our mother land is facing a tragic problem with in and from with out. From with in there are problems of regionalism, cultural differences, corruption, unemployment, political irrational games etc and from out side the country the major and predominant problem we fact is the terrorism. The peak of all the problems can be summed up in the attack on 26th November 2009. The Mumbai attack can be seen as the 11/9 of America. This attack shows that terrorism is getting its wings spread all over the world. This attack on the pride of India, the commercial city of India is the worst terrorist attack we as a country have ever experience. This calls for an introspection of our intelligence and protective system. What really went wrong? Why did we not take precautions to prevent any attack on our county, today we are clear that the attack has been master planned from out side the country, why we did not become aware of it even at the crucial hour of attack? This is a time we need to break out cultural political regional and religious barriers and stand together to fight against terrorism that kills the peace of our county. Terrorism from where ever it may be is dangerous to its core. God in what ever name we may call is the life giver and we have no right to take away that life of any one that which is a mere gift