INTRODUCTION TO INDIA
1 GEOGRAPHY
India, which is known as Bharat to the East Indians, is located in southern Asia. The lower half of the country is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal. The upper part lies between Burma and Pakistan. India has a total area of 1,269,346 square miles, which is slightly more than one-third the size of the U.S.
The countries bordering India are Myanmar and Bangladesh to its east, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the northwest. The country of Sri Lanka is an island that lies to the south, and it is separated from India by the Palk Straits. China and much of the rest of Asia are separated from India by the great Himalayan Mountains. This is where the tallest mountain in the world can be found, Mount Everest, or Kanchenjunga. At 29,028 feet, it is the ultimate climb for the most adventurous.
Mt. Kanchenjunga
Just south of the Himalayas is the Indo-Gangetic Plain, which contains the deepest and most fertile soils on earth. It stretches from the Indus River to the delta of the Ganges Rivers. This fertile plain supports half of the population of South Asia.
The other geographical areas provide India with diverse landscapes. On the northwestern end of India is the Thar Desert, which contains areas of sand, rolling hills, and sandy- gravel plains. Most of southern India is the Deccan Plateau, which is made up of dry deciduous forest, rolling hills, and many rivers. The plateau is separated from the northern plains by the Vindhya Mountains and bounded by the coastal mountains, which are known as the Eastern and Western Ghats.
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The capital of India is Delhi (above). It has a population of about 14 million, including its surrounding districts. Other important cities in India include Kolkatta (formally Calcutta), Mumbai (formally Bombay), Channai (formally Madras), and Bangalore.
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CLIMATE
India’s climate varies from the tropical monsoons of the south to the temperate areas of the north. Most of India is tropical or sub-tropical, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. However, in the temperate northern regions, the winters are cooler and the summers are hotter. And, in the higher elevations, the frigid temperatures provide a polar climate. There are three major seasons – winter, summer, and the monsoon. The winter months occur from November through March. The weather during these months is sunny and pleasant, with snowfall in the northern hills. The summers occur from April through June, and it is hot in most parts of India. Cooler temperatures can be found in the hills and mountains. During the monsoon season, rainfall is heavy along the west coast between June and September and along the east coast between mid- October and December.
India remains cool in the hills and Southern India frequently reaches temperatures mountains all year long. greater than 100º F in the summer.
4 POPULATION
India's current population is 3.6 times that of the United States, which is slightly more than one billion people. It is second only in population to China's 1.3 billion. The growth of the population can be seen in the following data:
Total Population: 1,129,866,154 (July 2007 est.),[11] 1,027,000,000 (2001 Census)
The population of present day India includes a number of ethnic groups, such as the Aryans, Dravidians, Mongols, Central Asians, Nepalese, Tibetans, Burmese, Anglo Indians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Jats, Rajputs, and other ethnicities, like the Assamese, Bengalis, Oriyans, Kashmiris, Ladhakis, Mahahrashtrians, Gurjratis, and Punjabis.
HISTORY
The geographical location of India has resulted in it being the meeting ground for the East and the West throughout history. Through the centuries, it has endured invasion after invasion, but because of its large size, no one empire has dominated it for long.
India is the home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, the Indus. This civilization goes back at least 5,000 years. They were a sophisticated people with a written language and mathematically-planned cities. Roughly around 1500, B.C., the Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded India, and their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian culture.
The Arabs invaded during the eighth century, and then the Turkish invasions occurred in the twelfth century. The European traders began to arrive in the late fifteenth century, and by the nineteenth century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all of the Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led to independence in 1947. However, independence came with a price. When the British left, they created the separate Muslim and Hindu states of Pakistan and East Pakistan (which became Bangladesh in 1971). As a result of this separation, the stranded minorities in each area fled in the opposite direction, which created the largest migration in human history. In a matter of weeks, a half a million people died in the violence that had erupted. To get the violence to stop, Gandhi vowed to fast until it ended. In addition to Gandhi’s pressure, the British returned to help restore order. However, even as of today, Kasmir is still a disputed area between India and Paskistan, and tourists are advised to not visit there.
Basic concerns in India today include not only the dispute with Pakistan over Kasmir but also massive overpopulation, the caste system transitions, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife. However, there have been impressive gains in economic investment and output.
5 RELIGION
Religion is a way of life in India. It is reflected in their traditions, educational system, and politics. Hinduism and Buddhism, which are both ancient religions, originated in India. The most dominant religion in India today is Hinduism. About 81.3 percent of the Indians are Hindus. The Muslims make up 12 percent of the population, the Christians are 2.3 percent, and the Sikhs make up 1.9 percent. There is also another 2.5 percent of the population that belong to other groups, including Buddhists, Jain, and Parsi. Each religion has its own pilgrimage sites, legends, and culinary specialties, but this diversity is enjoyed by all the Indians at the many festivals with music, feasts, and dancing.
Hinduism developed 5,000 years ago. It is the third largest religion in the world, following Christianity and Islam. It has no specific philosophy, no founder, and no specific holy book. It is a way of life based on ancient teachings. Hindus are devoted to one God, but they also accept the existence of other gods. They believe in Dharma (duties), Karma (every action has a reaction), Samsara (cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth) and yoga (paths).
Islam is the largest minority religion in India. With over 138,000,000 Muslims, it has the second largest Muslim population in the world, following Indonesia, which has the largest population of Muslims. And, just like Muslims all over the world, they are divided into two sects, the Shias and the Sunnis, and there is tension between these two groups. In addition, many Hindus feel that since the British had carved out Pakistan for the Muslims, then that is where they should be. Because of this attitude, Muslims face discrimination when it comes to finding employment, and many live in poverty, although there are some famous Muslims in Indian sports and in Bollywood.
LANGUAGES
Hindi is the national language of India and is the primary language of 30 percent of the people. English enjoys an associate status and is the language for national, political, and commercial communication. Many Indians use English to show that they are highly educated. Often, they will mingle English words in with their Indian language when conversing with others. There are 14 additional languages spoken in India: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi. Urdu, which is nearly the same as Hindi, is spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language.
WRITING SYSTEM
Hindi is written in the standardized Devavagiri script, which is written from left to right. The script represents the sounds of spoken Hindi very closely; therefore, a person who knows the Devanagari letters can sound out a written Hindi text, even without knowing what the words mean or having heard them before.
6 Standard Hindi derives much of its formal and technical vocabulary from Sanskrit, and it is used only in public addresses and radio or TV news. Hindustani is used for everyday spoken language. Its vocabulary contains words from Persian and Arabic, as well as words from English and other languages.
Vernacular Urdu and Hindi share the same grammar and core vocabulary and so are practically indistinguishable. However, the literary registers differ substantially in borrowed vocabulary. Hindi tends to borrow words from Sanskrit, and Urdu has taken words from Persian and Arabic. Also, Hindi has been associated with the Hindu community and Urdu with the Muslim community.
FAMOUS INDIANS
Indian’s national hero and “father” of modern day India is Mohandas “Mahatma” (great soul) Gandhi (left). Along with Jawaharlal Nehru (right), he led India to its independence from Britain in 1947.
Mother Teresa (left), an ethnic Albanian, became an Indian citizen in 1950. She founded a religious order in Calcutta called the Missions of Charity. This organization provided food for the needy and operated hospitals, schools, orphanages, youth centers, and shelters for lepers and the dying poor.
CULTURE AND CUSTOMS
Indians celebrate three national holidays: Independence Day, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti. Independence Day is celebrated on August 15, and it marks the day when India gained its independence from Britain in 1947. Indians celebrate this day by hoisting flags, gathering with families, and flying kites. Republic Day was established to honor the day when the Constitution was adopted, which was on January 26, 1950. Every year, on this day, a grand parade is held in New Delhi, and similar parades are held in the capitals of all the states of India. These parades not only feature the military, but they also include dance troupes to symbolize the varied cultural heritage of India. The third national holiday is Gandhi Jayanti, which is celebrated on October 2. It marks the birthday of Gandhi Mahatma, the father of the nation. On this day, there are prayer meetings as well as contests that promote peace and non-violence. Besides these national
7 days, Indians also observe the many holidays of the prevalent religions in their country. In addition to these holidays, there are also many festivals held throughout the year that feature dancing, food, and music.
Sports also play an important role in Indian culture. Both the young and old enjoy sports, particularly soccer (football), cricket, field hockey, and tennis. Hockey is the official sport of India, but cricket is by far the most popular.
One of the prevailing attractions in India is the colorful and diversified attire of its people. The men tend to dress in Western clothing, but the women are generally seen wearing the traditional clothing of India. The silk saree is a rectangular piece of cloth that is draped around the body. A cholis is a short blouse that is worn with a saree. The long pleated skirt is known as the lehangas. The salwar-kameez is the pajama-like trousers and tunic.
MARRIAGE
The institution of arranged marriages has existed in Indian society for centuries, and it still exists today since parents feel that they are more capable of making this important decision than their children. Parents, with the consent of the future bride and groom, will take into account such things as the compatibility of the couple’s horoscopes, their social standing, and their castes. Despite cultural progress, arranged marriages are still common in India; however, they are on the decline in metropolitan areas. And, even though it is illegal, giving a dowry to the groom is still very common.
8 FUNERALS
The last rites are performed according to ones religion. Christians are buried, and the protocol for attending the burial adheres to the traditional Christian norms. Muslims are also buried, but only the men attend the burial. The women stay at home to mourn. The men carry the coffin (janaza), and people either can join the procession or pay condolences to the immediate family members.
Hindus are cremated, and only the men attend the cremation; the women stay at home to mourn. After the body is cremated, the ashes are picked up by a male family member and immersed into any holy river that is nearby. Mourning continues for 13 days, and then on the 14th day, langar (food) is served by the mourning family at the home or temple.
THE CASTE SYSYEM
Although it has been officially outlawed, the caste system is still prevalent throughout much of India's modern society. Under the caste system, every person's social status is determined by their birth. The traditional roles of priests, ruler, merchant, artisan and servant form the various echelons of society in the caste system. In India, there are many people who are born outside of the caste system, and they are referred to as “untouchables.” Such people have no valuable social or economic position in a caste system.
In general, the urban people in India are less strict about the caste system than those who live in more rural areas. In many cities, one can see people from different castes mingling with each other, while in some rural areas there is still a good deal of discrimination.
CUISINE:
Indian cuisine is characterized by its relatively extensive use of spices and herbs. Indians are very fond of curry, either eaten with rice or wheat pita. Goat and lamb meat is common. Snacks are found in abundance on the roadside. The northern area is famous for Tandoori chicken and shish kebabs, and the southern region for its rice dishes. On the coasts, seafood is their specialty.
9 BEVERAGES:
Tea (chai) is a staple beverage throughout India, the finest varieties coming from the States of Assam and Karnataka. Other beverages include nimbu pani (lemonade), badam dhood (milk with almonds), and chaach (made from curd/yogurt). In India, the practice of drinking beverage with a meal is not common.
EATING ETIQUETTE
Several customs are associated with food consumption. Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten without cutlery; instead, the people eat their food with the fingers of their right hand. However, these traditional ways of dining are losing popularity as modernization has modified these customs. Silverware and Western-style seating arrangements are becoming the norm in urban areas of India.
10 HINDI ALPHABETS
Vowels:
Diacritical Pronunciation IAST Alphabet Pronunciation English equivalent mark with प with /p/ equiv. short or long Schwa: अ प /ə/ /pə/ a as the a in above or ago long Open back आ पा /ɑː/ /pɑː/ ā unrounded vowel: as the a in father short close front इ प /ɪ/ /pɪ/ i unrounded vowel: as i in bit long close front ई पी /iː/ /piː/ ī unrounded vowel: as i in machine short close back उ पु /ʊ/ /pʊ/ u rounded vowel: as u in put long close back ऊ पू /uː/ /puː/ ū rounded vowel: as oo in school long close-mid front unrounded vowel: as /eː/ /peː/ e ए पे a in game (not a diphthong) long open-mid front ऐ पै /ɛː/ /pɛː/ ai unrounded vowel: as e in bed, but longer long close-mid back rounded vowel: as o /οː/ /pοː/ o ओ पो in tone (not a diphthong) long open-mid back औ पौ /ɔː/ /pɔː/ au rounded vowel: as au in caught
11 CONSONANTS
Hindi has a large consonant system, with about 38 distinct consonant phonemes. An exact number cannot be given because of regional variations of Hindi. In addition, it is debatable to what extent certain sounds that appear only in foreign words should be considered part of Standard Hindi. The traditional core of the consonant system is inherited from Sanskrit. The system is filled out by 5 sounds that originated in Persian, but are now considered Hindi sounds.
The table below shows the traditional listing of the Sanskrit consonants with the (nearest) equivalents in English/Spanish. Each consonant shown below is deemed to be followed by the neutral vowel schwa (/ə/), and is named in the table as such.
Plosives – Sprshta
Unaspirate Unaspirate Aspirated Aspirated d d Nasal Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiced Anunāsik Mahāprān Mahāprān Alpaprāna Alpaprāna a Nāda a Śvāsa a Nāda Śvāsa Nāda
घ क ख ग ङ Velar /kə/; /gə/; /g ə/; /ŋə/; /k ə/; ʱ Kantya English: ʰ English: English: English: English: cat skip game doghouse ring
च छ ज झ ञ Palatal /cə/; /cʰə/; /ɟə/; /ɟʱə/; /ɲə/; Tālavya English: English: ≈English: English: English: exchange church jam hedgehog bench
Retroflex ट ठ ड ढ ण Mūrdhany /ʈə/; No /ʈʰə/; No /ɖə/; No /ɖʱə/; No /ɳə/; No
12 a English English English English English equivalent equivalent equivalent equivalent equivalent
थ ध Apico- त द न Dental /tə̪ /; /tʰ̪ ə/; /də̪ /; /dʱ̪ ə/; /nə̪ /; Dantya Spanish: Aspirated Spanish: Aspirated English: tomate /t/̪ donde /d/̪ name
भ प फ ब म Labial /pə/; /bə/; /b ə/; /mə/; /p ə/; ʱ Ōshtya English: ʰ English: English: English: English: pit spin bone clubhouse mine
Non-Plosives/Sonorants
Retroflex Labial/ Palatal Dental Mūrdhany Glottal Tālavya Dantya a Ōshtya
य र ल व (labio-dental) Approximant /jə/; /rə/; /lə̪ /; /ʋə/; English: Antastha English: English: English: vase you tearing love
श ष स Sibilant/ ह (glottal) /ɕə/; /ʂə/; /sə̪ /; Fricative /ɦə/; English English: Retroflex English: Ūshman behind ship form of /ʃ/ same
13 HINDI PRONUNCIATION:
The sounds of any language result from a combination of a number of phonetic factors. In Hindi, the most important factors are the manner of articulation, place of articulation, and the presence or absence of voicing, nasality, and aspiration. Perhaps the most difficult sounds in Hindi to master are the retroflex, where the tongue is curled back in the mouth to give the specified sound.
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