What is INDIAN CULTURE? Is Indian culture decaying? Short Article

India is a country full of cultures, religions, geographic regions, traditions, and languages that never ceases to give historical morals. Its unique tradition is spread all across the world. India's languages, religions, dance, food, and architecture are special. Not only the dances, foods, architects, etc make its culture unique and popular, but also the people of India are known for its traditions. 

The traditional dress we wear, the varieties of food we cook, the greeting culture we have, the religious customs we follow, the beautiful festivals we celebrate, the martial arts we practice, the family structure we maintain, the long-lasting marriage we hold, the respected language we speak, etc. is very well-known across the world. The magnificent seven wonders of the india (Taj Mahal in Agra, The Golden Temple in Amritsar, Hampi Temple in Hampi, The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Madhya Pradesh, The Monolithic Gomateshwara Statue in Shravanabelagola, Nalanda University in Bihar, Konark Sun Temple of Odisha), the seven sacred rivers of the India (Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, and Kaveri River), and the seven prominent mountain ranges of India (the Himalayan, the Karakoram, the Eastern Mountain, The Satpura, the Vindhya range, The Aravalli, The Western Ghats, and The Eastern Ghats) beautify the splendid look of India.

Do you think these ranges, rivers, and monuments always glorify our country? NO. 

We are slowly-slowly attracting western culture. Adopting the natural changes in cultures to make our life well-settled is perfect, but adopting the commercial change in our life customs just to show our modern standard should be stopped. If we are continuously forgetting our values, one day we will be served Coke or Pepsi in our tap instead of water. 

Change with time is good, but to forget our religious values, fail to remember how to sit and stand, and adopting the modernized thought is hazardous for our unique identity.

SOME UNIQUE PRACTICE OF INDIAN CULTURE and WHY IS IT DECAYING?

• The Namaste and Feet touching Practice

The Namaste is a traditional greeting mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts the Vedas. As you are seeing now, in this COVID-19 pandemic, approx everyone accepts this 'namaskar' practice avoiding any physical contact. Not only this helps in this 21st century, but it also indicates the reduction of one's ego in the presence of others. This Hindu practice is healthy and customary. 

Younger turns blessed with knowledge by touching the feet of elders. This practice was adopted in India during the Vedic period.

• Worshiping Practice

India is a country of numerous festivals due to varieties of religion. We are worshiping Lord Rama, Shiva, and others. 

But, today's era wants to rock the stage and worship celebrities.

• One Marriage Practice

We, the Indians, respect every relation we make until our last breath whatever the situation is. We have the covalent bond that holds everyone in a group. The husband-wife relation is a nonbreakable lovely bond. 

But, now we are grasping from western culture, having more than one marriage, external marital affairs, learning the concept of divorce, women torturing, etc.

• Joint family

In India, we love the concept of a joint family, wherein everyone lives together. This is possible only because of love between them. They respect each other and every one has its own importance in the family. Women are considered the Laxmi of the house who fulfills every demand of the housing member. Men are considered the head of the house who fulfills every financial requirement. 

But, now we are learning the short family is happy. We don't have an elder member in our house who can give moral knowledge to our children.

And we forget the respect of elders. I also experience it from the society that they just leave their over age parents to old age homes.

• Indian Wear

The Hindu religion started to wear sarees, kurta, etc and now its glorify look spread across the world as unique outer coverage. 

But modern society takes us here.

• Indian dances

According to guidelines given in Natya Shastra, classical dances are followed. Folk dances are famous for rural areas.

Various types of dances like Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchipudi, etc is our popular dance arts which show the flexibility of our body.

Now, everyone starts to love rocking dance like Hip-Hop, Robotic dance, Belly dance, etc.

• PLAY GAMES

Children used to play on the ground in an open environment which makes them healthy and physically fit.

Now, Children are busy with mobile games which affect their mental health.

Largely most cultures were built with the intention of survival and material well-being. This culture was designed for the inner well-being of the human being because we distinctly understood that by arranging material things around you, only comfort and convenience will happen. It will never let your well-being happen. You can wear any type of clothes whether it is Indian or western, it's your choice but it will fix only your outer look not your experience of life.

While natural changes in culture and tradition are a common thing but the professional or commercial change should be preserved. I suggest one needs a strategy to save it.

Everything, our Indian culture is framed like it leads us towards a spiritual process, in the stairs of heaven, and in the sky of religious values. I think that part of the culture has to be preserved by our efforts.

So, respect your unique and beautiful culture and enhance the value of it. You are the one who can save our culture.

- RUPANGI DWIVEDI