India & Culture

India

India is a federation composed of 29 states and 7 union territories.

India- Country in South Asia

Flag-The National Flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre that is called Tiranga(Tricolor)

State Emblem- The State Emblem of India, as the national emblem of India is called, is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, preserved in the Varanasi Sarnath Museum in India. It was adopted on 26 January 1950, the day that India became a republic.

Motto- Satyameva Jayate

The abacus is girded with a frieze of sculptures in high relief of an elephant (of the east), a bull (of the west), a horse (of the south), and a lion (of the north), separated by intervening wheels, over a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. Carved from a single block of sandstone, the polished capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).

Anthem: Jana Gana Mana

National song: Vande Mataram

Capital: Delhi
Currency: (Indian rupee)
Calendar: Saka
Animal: Tiger
Bird: Indian peafowl
Flower: Lotus
Fruit: Mango
Tree: Banyan
River: Ganga

Culture of India
The culture of India is the way of living of the people of India. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differs from place to place within the country.

Dance in India

In Hindu scriptures, dance is believed to have been conceived by Brahma. Brahma inspired the sage Bharata Muni to write the Natya Shastra, a treatise on performing arts, from which a codified practice of dance and drama emerged.

India offers a number of classical Indian dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Classical and folk dance forms also emerged from Indian traditions, epics and mythology.There are many Indian folk dances such as Bhangra, Bihu(Assam), Ghumura Dance(Orissa),Sambalpuri(Odisha), Chhau(W B,Jharkhand) and Garba.

The criteria for being considered as classical is the style's adherence to the guidelines laid down in Natyashastra, which explains the Indian art of acting. The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on eight Indian classical dance styles: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Odissi (Odisha), and Sattriya (Assam).

Kuchipudi

Kathak

Kathakali

Manipuri

Mohiniyattam

Odissi

Bharatanatyam

Sattriya

Mallika Sarabhai

Mallika Sarabhai, a multifaceted personality, is a noted Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer. She has immensely contributed to the fields of acting, writing and publishing. She is a social activist and has participated in many socio-developmental projects initiated by the United Nations. Mallika Sarabhai has also received the "French Palme D'or'', the highest civilian award of France.

Pandit Birju Maharaj

Birju Maharaj is a leading exponent and torch-bearer of the Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow. He is the only son and disciple of Shri Achhan Maharaj and is a familiar face of Indian Kathak dance all over the world. He has performed in almost all the countries of the globe.

Rukmini Devi Arundale

Rukmini Devi Arundale was a reputed dancer and choreographer of Bharatnatyam, an Indian classical dance form. Her charismatic personality and contribution to the renaissance of Indian Classical music attained her niche in the arena of Indian culture. It is believed that Rukmini Devi had declined the chair of the President of India, once offered by Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister of India.

Shovana Narayan

Shovana Narayan is a Kathak Maestro and an outstanding dancer. She is an incarnation of the great artistic and social traditions of India. She created a new and innovative style of performing arts by enriching it with a deeper and wider canvas of expression and dimensions.

Sonal Mansingh

Sonal Mansingh is an eminent Indian classical dancer and a leading exponent of Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Chhau. Besides being a dancer, Sonal Mansingh is a well-known choreographer, teacher, orator and a social activist. For her contributions in the field of "Classical dancing" she has received accolades from many national and international organizations.

Uday Shankar

Uday Shankar initiated a unique movement of revival of classical dances in 1930. Though he had no formal training in any classical form, his presentations were creative. Uday Shankar used the essence ofvarious traditions and techniques in his dance dramas and succeeded in presenting an integrated composition.

Yamini Krishnamurthy

Yamini 'Poornatilaka' Krishnamurthy, better known as Yamini Krishnamurthy is a renowned Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer. She is also considered as the torch-bearer of the Kuchipudi form of dance. She started her career with a dance performance in 1957, at the age of seventeen years.

Indian classical musicIndian classical music is monophonic in nature and based on a single melody line,which is played over a fixed drone. The performance is based melodically on particular ragas and rhythmically on talas. Because of the focus on exploring the raga, performances have traditionally been solo endeavors, but duets are gaining in
popularity.
Hindustani music is mainly found in North India. Khyal and Dhrupad are its two main forms, but there are several other classical and semi-classical forms. There is a significant amount of Persian influence in Hindustani music in terms of the instruments, style of presentation, and ragas such as Hijaz Bhairav, Bhairavi, Bahar, and Yaman. Also, as is the case with Carnatic music, Hindustani music has assimilated various folk
tunes.InstrumentsInstruments typically used in Hindustani music include the