Why does India have a unique culture? India is one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse nations globally, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people. Although India is a secular Hindu-majority country, it has a sizeable Muslim population. Indian Culture: What Makes it Unique From the Rest of the World Occupying a considerable portion of South Asia, India is a country with one of the most diverse populations, representing a government of the constitutional republic. Since the ages of the Indus Valley civilization, India had been a reasonably politically and culturally self-contained territory. It was not until the British set their colony in the land that a Western and foreign culture massively impacted and influenced the country. The beauty of the Indian culture is derived from its rich history. Here, we explore the position where the country stands as of now in its cultural aspect. Despite modernization and Westernisation, Indian culture and traditional practices are held on to with considerable vigor. In its deepest pockets, many lead a primarily orthodox lifestyle. However, the country as a whole is as colorful and complex, as the plethora of people that it is home to. Languages in India India, a land of 28 states and seven union territories, does not have one official language. In a survey conducted by the Times of India, results showed that almost 60 per cent of the citizens speak a language which is not Hindi. As recorded in the 2011 language census, there are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 people or more in India. The 121 languages are presented in two parts: the 22 languages which are a part of the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and the languages not included in the Eighth Schedule. The latter comprises 99 languages plus the category total of ‘other languages’, which encompasses all those languages that returned less than 10,000 speakers each at the all-India level. The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution includes languages like Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, Maithili and Dogri, to name a few. According to the latest 2011 census, more than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in the whole of India as mother tongue. Religion in India India is characterised by a massive population of people who belong to a diverse list of religions. Identified as the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, India is a home to a varying number of religious communities, many of which are minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Judaists, etc. India includes not only the vast majority of the world’s Hindus but also the second-largest group of Muslims within a single country. The largest democracy in the world, India is religiously pluralistic and multiethnic, and the Constitution provides for the security, free expression and equal human rights of the minorities. However, in the past decade, the country has experienced very high levels of social hostilities and brutalities that have germinated from religious issues.
