India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has actively preserved its established traditions throughout history. It has also absorbed customs from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices and monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and other Islamic architecture, have been inherited from the rule of Mughal emperors.
Indian society is largely pluralist, multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.
Religion in India is very public, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. A melting pot of many religions, India has rich festivals celebrated by one and all. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Dipawali, Holi, and Dussehra. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by people belonging to all religions in Tamil Nadu.
Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main forms in terms of classical music are the Carnatic from South India and Hindustani from the north. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. Many dance forms exist in India – Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and others. They often have a narrative form (based on the Indian epics) and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.
The earliest literary traditions were mostly oral and were later transcribed. Most of these spring from Hindu tradition and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest secular traditions. There have been many notable Indian writers in modern times, both in Indian languages and English. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.
India produces the world's highest number of films annually. The most recognisable face is that of Bollywood, based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films. Cinema in other language bases is particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu industries. India's gift to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali language director Satyajit Ray.
Rice and wheat (in bread forms) are the staple foods in the country. The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods all vary from region to region. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The sari and salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti.
List of World Heritage sites in India
Agra Fort
Ajanta Caves
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Churches and Convents of Goa
Elephanta Caves
Ellora Caves
Fatehpur Sikri
Great Living Chola Temples
Group of Monuments at Hampi
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Kaziranga National Park
Keoladeo National Park
Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Mahabodhi Temple Complex
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Mountain Railways of India
Nanda Devi National Park
Qutub Minar and its Monuments
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
Sun Temple
Sundarbans National Park
Taj Mahal
Sports and games
India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de facto national game due to its success and popularity in recent times. Though cricket's popularity is widespread, it is not the most popular sport in many states of India, particularly India's northeast states. India has had relatively little success in international events like the Olympics, where it garnered just a single medal in each of the previous three Olympics.
Some traditional indigenous sports are kabaddi, Kho Kho and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country. Chess, carrom, polo, and badminton are some other games and sports that are said to have originated in India. Football (soccer) also finds a large viewer ship in almost the entire country, and is the most popular sport in many states of India, especially West Bengal. Formula 1 and Tennis are also becoming popular these days, though their reach is largely in urban areas.
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