Indian Culture
The culture of India refers collectively to the thousands of distinct and unique cultures of all religions and communities present in India. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old. Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as Indian religions, Indian philosophy and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world.
Indian Culture will cover 4 - 6 marks in General Awareness Section in all Competitive Exams . Here we are providing the list of some Basic Information About India and Indian Culture which were asked frequently in the previous examinations. We hope it will be helpful for your upcoming Exams - IBPS, SSC, UPSC, State PSC Exams, Entrance Exams, Bank Exams, NEET Exam (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) and all Competitive Exams.
Some Basic Information About India and Indian Culture
- Indian civilization is ancient
- The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the first civilizations on earth
- The Vedic period was a time in Indian history when the Hindu religion and caste system began in India
- Mughal Empire was the last and the strongest Islamic empire in India
Here in India we see people in,
- People with different clothing
- People with different religions
- People with different foods
- People with different celebrations
- People living in different localities like Urban, Semi-urban, Rural
India is mainly classified into four major sections
1. North India : New Delhi
2. Eastern India : Kolkata
3. Western India : Mumbai
4. South India : Chennai
Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world’s major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. With this people in India also follows Christianity, Islam also.
Important Historical Monuments in India
India is home to many historical monuments such as
Taj Mahal, Brihadishwara Temple, Mysore Palace, Harmandir Sahib, Ajanta Ellora Caves, Mahabalipuram, Khajuraho and the list is a long one. We will see about this in a separate video.
Traditional Music of India
Hindustani and Carnatic are popularly known traditional music of India.
Hindustani means classical music of North India
Carnatic means classical music of South India
Melody, Drone, Thala are some of the traditional elements of Indian Music.
String, Wind, Percussion are some of the most commonly used Instruments in India.
Traditional Dances of India
Dance is an ancient and celebrated cultural tradition in India. Folk dances abound all across the country, and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and weddings. Dance and song features heavily in Indian cinema too. Indian dance draw its roots from six of the most important classical dance forms.
They are: Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Odissi.
Basic information About India
| Points | Info |
|---|---|
| Capital of India: | New Delhi |
| Belongs in Continent: | Asia |
| Location: | 28°36.8?N, 77°12.5?E |
| Other Names of India: | Hindustan, Bharat, |
| Neighbor countries: | China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar |
| Population: | 1,210,193,422 (2nd ) |
| Area: | 3,287,590 km2 (7th) |
| Total Coast Line of India: | 7,517 KM |
| Land Frontier: | 15,200 Km |
| Length from East to West: | 2933 KM |
| Length from North to South: | 3214 Km |
| Official Languages: | Hindi, English |
| Currency: | Indian Rupee |
| Important Rivers: | Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Kaveri, Luni, Narmada, Yamuna, Sutlej, Jhelum, Koshi, Gandaki |
| Important Mountains: | Himalaya, Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, Karakoram, Aravalli, Satpura, |
| Indian States: | 29 |
| Union Territories: | 6+ 1 Capital Territory |
| Main Agricultural Products: | Rice, Wheat, Sugar Cane, Cotton, Jute, Tea, Coffee, Spices, |
| Major Cities of India: | Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Surat, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Vadodara, Kochi |
| Major Seas of India: | Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean |
| Animals of India: | Tiger, Elephant, Lion, Bear, Deer, Rhinoceros, Neelgai, Chinkara, Indian flying fox, Ass |
| Tourist Places: | Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Hawa Mahal, Jama Masjid, Konark Sun Temple, Sundarbans, India Gate, City palace Jaipur, Akshardham, Golkonda |
| Festivals of India: | Diwali, Holi, Rath Yatra, Kumbh Mela, Janmasthami, Muharram, Id-ul-Fitr, Good Friday, Christmas |
National Things/Symbols of India
| National | Symbols |
|---|---|
| National Emblem | Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath |
| National Flag: | Tricolor |
| National Anthem: | "Jana Gana Mana" |
| National Song: | “Vande Mataram” |
| National Animal: | Tiger |
| National Flower: | Lotus |
| National Fruit: | Mango |
| National Bird: | Peacock |
| Motto: | "Satyameva Jayate" |
| National Tree of India | Banyan |
National Days of India
| Days | Date |
|---|---|
| Independence Day: | 15th August |
| Republic Day: | 26TH January |
| Teachers Day: | 5th September |
| Martyr’s Day: | 30th January, 23rd March |
| Children’s Day; | 14th November |
| Gandhi Jayanti: | 2nd October |
| National Education Day: | 11th November |
Some Religions of India
| Religion | Place of Worship | Religious Books |
|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | Temple | Gita, Vedas |
| Islam | Mosque | Quran |
| Christianity | Church | Bible |
| Sikhism | Gurdwara | Guru Granth Sahib |
| Buddhism | Temples | Tripitaka |
| Jainism | Temples | Kalpa Sutra, Agama, Tattvartha, |
Some Largest things of India
| Largest | Things |
|---|---|
| Largest State (Population Wise): | Uttar Pradesh |
| Largest State (Area Wise): | Rajasthan |
| Largest District: | Kutch |
| Largest City: | Mumbai |
| Largest Dessert: | Thar |
| Largest Delta: | Sundarban’s Delta |
| Largest Lake: | Wular lake |
| Largest Saline water Lake: | Chilka |
| Largest Port: | Mumbai |
| Largest Rail Station: | Howrah |
Some Highest Things of India
| Highest of India | Things |
|---|---|
| Highest Mountain peak | Kanchenjunga |
| Highest Dam | Tehri Dam |
| Highest Waterfall | Kunchikal falls |
| Highest Railway Station | Ghum railway station of the Darjeeling |
| Highest Lake | Devtaal |
| Highest Tower | Qutub Minar of Delhi |
Some Longest Things of India
| Longest | Things of India |
|---|---|
| Longest River | Ganges |
| Longest Dam | Hirakud Dam (Odisha) |
| Longest National Highway | NH7 (or 44) |
| Longest Railway Platform | Gorakhpur railway station |
| Longest Tunnel | Jawahar tunnel (Jammu & Kashmir) |
Some events that happened first time in India
| First In India | Year |
|---|---|
| First postage stamps of India | 1852 at district of scinde (also known as scinde dawk) |
| First post office of India | Bombay in 1764 |
| First train ran in India | 16 April, 1853 between Mumbai and Thane |
| First Telephone service in India | 1882,in city kolkata,chennai & mumbai |
| First Cinema of India | Silent movie Raja Harishchandra (1913), by Dadasaheb Phalke, |
| First Census of India | 1872 |
| First time television started | In Delhi on 15 September 1959 |
| India’s First Satellite | Aryabhata, was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975 |
Some Indians who made it First Time
| First In | Name |
|---|---|
| First president of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| First prime minister of India | Jawahar Lal Nehru |
| First Indian in Space | Rakesh Sharma |
| First Speaker of the Lok Sabha | Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar |
| First Indian to win Nobel Prize | Rabindranath Tagore |
| First Muslim President of India | Zakir Hussain |
| First Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award | Radhakrishnan |
| First Indian to cross English Channel | Mihir Sen |
| First woman Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| First lady to become Miss World | Rita Faria |
| First Mount Everest Climber | Tenzing Norgay |
| First Indian who won Oscar | Satyajit Ray |
| First Indian Cricketer | KS Ranjitsinhji, who played for England. CK Nayudu is the first cricketer who played for India |
Some Important dates of Indian History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 5000 BC | Indus Valley Civilization |
| 2000 BC | Vedic Age |
| 563 BC | Birth of Gautama Buddha |
| 327 BC | Alexander’s Invasion |
| 276 BC | Asoka’s Reign Started |
| 320 AD | Starting of Gupta Era |
| 405-411 AD | Chinese Traveler Fahien’s visit |
| 1191 | First battle of Tarain |
| 1192 | Second Battle of Tarain |
| 1221 | Changez Khan’s Invasion |
| 1296 | Al-ud-din Khilji’s Accession |
| 1325 | Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s Accession |
| 1469 | Birth of Guru Nanak |
| 1498 | Vasco de Gama’s discovery of India |
| 1526 | First battle of Panipat; Foundation of Mughal Era |
| 1556 | Second Battle of Panipat |
| 1600 | East India Company established |
| 1761 | Third Battle of Panipat |
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar |
| 1857 | Revolt of 1857 |
| 1869 | Birth of Mahatma Gandhi |
| 1885 | Foundation of National Congress |
| 1906 | Foundation of Muslim League |
| 1919 | Jalianwala Bagh Massacre |
| 1920 | Non co operation Movement launched |
| 1930 | Civil Disobedience Movement Launched |
| 1931 | Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| 1937 | Provincial Autonomy |
| 1942 | Quit India Movement |
| 1947 | Division of India, Independence of India |
Some nick names of Indian Cities
| Nick Name | City |
|---|---|
| Silicon Valley of India | Bangalore |
| IT capital of India | Bangalore |
| Manchester of India | Ahmadabad |
| City of Lakes | Bhopal |
| Temple city of India | Bhubaneswar |
| Detroit of India | Chennai |
| Auto hub of India | Chennai |
| World capital of Biriyani | Hyderabad |
| Pink city | Jaipur |
| Golden city of India | Jaisalmir |
| Steel city of India | Jamshedpur |
| God’s Own Country | Kochi |
| City of joy | Kolkata |
| City of Palaces | Kolkata |
| Cultural capital of India | Kolkata |
| City of Nawabs | Lucknow |
| Hollywood of India | Mumbai |
| City of Dreams | Mumbai |
| Financial capital of India | Mumbai |
| City of Seven islands | Mumbai |
| City of Rallies | New Delhi |
| City of Diamonds | Surat |
Some Nick names of famous Indian personalities
| Nick Names | Persons |
|---|---|
| Gurudev, Kabiguru, | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Nightingale of India | Sorojini Naidu |
| Father of Nation, Bapu | Mahatma Gandhi |
| Iron Man of India, Sarder | Vallavbhai Patel |
| Panditji/ Chacha | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Chhatrapati | Shivaji |
| Frontier Gandhi, Badshah Khan | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan |
| Lokmanya | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Desh Ratna | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Lal, Bal, Pal | Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal |
| Napoleon of India | Samudra Gupta |
| Tota-e-Hind | Amir Khushro |
MIND IT !
Here are the most frequently asked Indian Culture questions in General knowledge section of exams. These questions will be useful for your practice for IBPS, SSC, UPSC exams, state PSC exams, entrance exams, bank exams, NEET exam (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) or any other competitive exams.
LearnFrenzy provides you lots of fully solved "Indian Culture" Questions and Answers with explanation.