India has one of the richest and most exciting cultural traditions in the world. Our culture goes back several thousand years. That is why ours is known as one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
The culture of a country is made up of its customs, religions, music and dance. The food habits of its people, the festivals they celebrate, the art and handicrafts made by them also help give the culture of a country its uniqueness. India is a very large country. Different cultural traditions are observed in different parts of the country.
India is a land of many religions and languages. People are free to practice any religion they choose to follow. All the major religions of the world are followed in India as: The Hindus believe that there is one God. He is worshipped in three forms. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Some rivers, like the Ganga, are considered sacred by the Hindus. On the banks of these rivers are bathing places for pilgrims. There are many old and beautiful Hindu temples all over India. These temples attract a large number of tourists. Thousands of Hindus visit them daily. The Hindus have four holy book – Vedas, Upanishads. Puranas and Bhagvad Gita. They are all in Sanskrit.
ISLAM :
People who follow Islam are called Muslims. They believe that there is only one God Allah. !n Arabic this means’ the God’. Prophet Mohammed is believed to be the greatest of the Islamic prophets. He was born in about AD 570 in Mecca. This city has become the holy city of Islam. The Quran is the holy book of the Muslims, .the Muslims worship in mosques. They do not allow idol worship. Neither do they allow any picture of Allah.
JAINISM :
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One of the major saints of Jainism was Mahavir. He lived about 2500 years ago. Jainism teaches right conduct, right faith, tolerance and strict ahimsa or non-violence. The followers of Jainism are strict vegetarians. Gandhiji got the idea of ahimsa from them. People who practice ahimsa do not hurt living things.
BUDDHISM :
Long ago, a prince, Siddhartha saw people suffering for the first time in his life. He felt sad. He gave up his princely life and went out in search of true knowledge. At last, sitting under the Bodhi-tree in Gaya,. Bihar, he became enlightened. From that day onwards, he was called the Buddha or the Enlightened One. The Buddha lived at the same time as Mahavir. He taught that every human being must follow the middle path and not be greedy.
CHRISTIANITY :
People who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are called Christians. They believe that Jesus Christ was sent to Earth to spread the message of God. Christians pray in a Church. Their religious book is the Bible. This book is divided into two parts. The Old Testament tells about the creation of the world and the religious teachers who came before the birth of Christ. The New Testament deals with the life and teachings of Lord Christ.
SIKHISM :
Sikhism was founded by a saint called Guru Nanak. He was born in AD 1469. This religion, like most others, also speaks of one God. Sikhs worship in Gurudwaras. They follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and the nine Gurus who came after him. Their holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, is written in Punjabi. The Golden Temple in Amritsar is their holiest place.
ZOROASTRIANISM :
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Parsis follow the teachings of the great Persian prophet, Zoroaster (Zarathushtra). He is said to have lived around 2000 BC. Parsis believe in two equally balanced forces of good and evil in the world. They believe that in the end Good always triumphs or wins over Evil. The Parsis worship in fire temples.