Subject: History Topic: India-A Kaleidoscope of Cultures Std: VI CB/VI/2021 India- A Kaleidoscope of Cultures 1 of 10 POEM India - My Country My Pride India, my country, my pride, beautiful and bountiful! At its head the Himalayas soar, at its foot the oceans roar. With waters cool and clean, fl owing rivers and streams glean. Juicy fruits that trees yield, ripened crop in the field. Peace and joy it gives, to every man who here lives. Language we speak of many a kind, variety in dress you will find. Moving forward as one, for its glory work daughter and son. 2 Understanding Diversity • Diversity means, ‘Differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion and geographical area.’ • India has a civilization which is more than five thousand years old, thus having a vibrant cultural heritage. There are innumerable spoken languages and dialects. • Every State as well as Union Territory has a distinct history, culture, tradition, festivals, clothing and language. • India is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Linguistic Diversity & Religious Diversity • The Constitution of India has recognized 22 different languages, of which Hindi is an Official Language. • These twenty two languages are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. • The Parliament has given its consent for use of English for official purposes. • India is a secular country; nevertheless, it is the abode of the major religions of the world. • India is the birthplace of religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Other religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc. became part of our Indian culture. • It is also home to various aboriginal beliefs and tribal religions. Harmonious co- existence of different religions in India makes it a unique place to live in. • The Constitution of India permits one to follow one’s own religion and develop one’s own language and culture. Regional Diversity • India is a land of diverse cultures, communities and religions. India also has a very rich tribal culture. • The traditions, practices, way of living and customs varies in each part of the country. • Each part of the country depicts different customs and traditions. • Although we speak different languages, follow different customs and traditions, we are all Indians. • ‘Unity in Diversity’ has been the distinct feature of the cultural heritage of India. Ladakh • Location: North India • Climate Extreme temperature with –40°C in winter and 35°C in summer. Rainfall: 102 mm(Avg.) • Food Habits: The most well-known Ladakhi food items are thupka or noodle soup and tsampa made up of roasted barley flour and skyu , a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables. Ladakhi tea, also known as gurgur cha or Butter Tea, is unique as it is made with strong green tea, butter, and salt. • Special Mention: Cold Desert • Clothing Goncha, a huge robe of thick woollen cloth with a colourful cloth tied at the waist, is the most common Ladakhi dress; loose pyjamas, a top hat and long boots fi nish the attire. There is little disparity in dress for men and women. Ladakhi women wear a beautiful headdress called perak . • Festival Celebrated: Losar is the Ladakhi New year which falls in the month of December. It is observed by making offerings to the gods and goddesses. The biggest and most famous of the monastic festival is Hemis. It falls in late June or the fi rst half of July, and is devoted to Padma Sambhava. • Dance : Jabro, Shondol, Marriage Dance and Kampa Sumsak are some of the renowned traditional dances of Ladakh. • Handicrafts And Handloom Clay moulding is a wellknown handicraft of Ladakh region. It is made by mixing clay with cloth, fl our, old waste paper and glue in a proportionate manner and then hammered with a wooden beater on a smooth stone. Thanka paintings highlight various scenes of Lord Buddha’s spiritual life. They are made on white cloth or Latha . The carpet known as Tsukdan is a peculiar type of the carpet; where the drape and weft of the rug used are both of woollen yarn. • Cultural Festivals: Sindhu Darshan Festival is celebrated on the banks of river Sindhu in the month of June every year. It is celebrated to showcase Indus River as a model of communal harmony and peace in India. People from different religions and regions perform together thereby depicting the multi- dimensional culture of India. Ladakh festival is organised in the month of September to represent and promote the vibrant customs of Ladakh. Kerala • Location: South India • Climate: Maximum temperature in summer months is 36°C. In winter the temperature drops to 18°C. Rainfall: 2250 mm(Avg.) • Food Habits: Keralite lunch is traditionally a vegetarian meal. It is served on banana leaf known as Sadya. It comprises of para boiled rice, vegetable curries, side dishes, savouries, pickles and desserts. Appam, puttu, idiyappam are eaten during the breakfast. • Special Mention: Backwaters • Clothing: Mundum Neriyathum is a traditional dress worn by women in Kerala. It consists of two pieces of cloth: A mundu is a one piece cloth draped on the lower part of the body while neriyathu is worn over a blouse. A mundu is a white or creamy dress with colourful strips known as Kara or border. The main clothing is mundu for men, which is a long garment. It is tucked around the waist and reaches to the ankle. Kaily or lungi is informal attire for Keralite men. • Festivals Celebrated: Onam is a traditional ten day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala which marks the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali. It is also the state festival of Kerala. Vishu marks the new year of the Keralites. • Dance: Koothu, Koodiyattom, Patakom, Ashtapadiyattom, Krishnattom, Thullal, Mohiniyattom and Kathakali are some of the important classical dances of Kerala. • Handicrafts And Handloom: Coir and cane products are used to make ecofriendly objects such as coir mattresses, fl oor furnishing, mats and other colourful articles. Sandalwood carving is the crafting of beautiful things with sandalwood such as boxes, small models of animals, Kathakali dance postures and candle stands. • Cultural Festivals: The Snake Boat Race is a boat race that is carried out on the banks of the river Pamba at Aranmullaon the fi fth day of Onam. Thousands of people gather there to watch the grand race. The boats are about 30 metres long and have a seating capacity of 150 men. The boats are made of teak and the curled ends of the boats are shaped like cobra hoods. They are elegan tly adorned with green and crimson silk umbrellas. The beautifully decorated boats are rowed by oarsmen dressed in white dhotis and turbans. Kutch (Gujarat) • Location: West India • Climate: Extreme climate and temperature ranges from 20°C in winter to 45°C in summer. Rainfall: 355 mm(Avg.) • Food Habits: The typical Kutchi cuisine consist of roti or rotlas made up of bajri or millet, curd, butter milk or chhas , dal, curry, vegetables, papad, kachumbar. ‘Khichhdi’ made of rice and dal (pulses) is also relished by everyone. • Special Mention: White Desert • Clothing: Women wear chaniya (skirt) - choli (blouse) with chunaris , which are beautifully embroidered and with mirror work. The menfolk wear loose trousers, a long-sleeved under-jacket, and a short coat, with a plain or silk bordered cloth. • Festivals Celebrated: Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Navartri and Diwali are some of the festivals celebrated in Kutch. • Dance: Kutchi Gajiyo is the popular folk dance belonging to Kutch region. • Handicrafts And Handloom: Wall hangings known as torans are made by embroidery using herringbone stitches interspersed with small mirrors and occasional chain stitches for peacocks and other motifs. One of the unique weaves of this region is the tangalio , made by adding extra knots on the weft that create motifs and fi gures in a dotted pattern on the woven fabric. Beaded bangles, braids, tassels and necklaces are also famous. • Cultural Festivals: Rann Utsav is an exotic cultural festival held annually in Kutch. It is celebrated in December month at full moon night. During this festival, people are dressed in multihued attires, fi ne jewellery and perform various folk dances and performing arts. Manipur • Location: East India • Climate: Maximum temperature in summer months is 32°C. In winter the temperature often falls below zero. Rainfall: 1467.5 mm(Avg.) • Food Habits: The daily meal consists of plain white rice, chamthong /kangsoi /shaak /hawai , ametpa/ iromba , kanghou/ataoba and chamfoot/anganbaand singju or vegetables with fermented fi sh or grounded sesame seed spicy salad. • Special Mention: Birth place of Polo • Clothing: Women wear a phanek (Mekhala – a wraparound cloth), innaphi (shawl), sarong – a stiff skirt type. The phanek is usually worn with a blouse. Men wear dhotis and paired with smart jackets or bundis. A white pagri or turban is also worn. • Festivals Celebrated: Lai-Haraoba, held in the month of May, is the most famous one and attracts huge gatherings. Yaoshang (Dol Jatra) is the foremost festival of Manipur. Festival of Kuki Chin-Mizoor autumn festival and Cheiraoba orManipur New Year arethe important festivals of Manipur. • Dance: Manipuri, Kartal Cholom or Cymbal, Pung or Manipuri Mridanga, Maibi Dance. • Handicrafts And Handloom: Cane and bamboo basketry such as Heijing Kharai, Phiruk, Lukmai, Likhai, Sangbai, Chengbon, Meruk and Morah are well known. • Cultural Festivals: Hiyang Tannaba (Boat Race) is generally held in the month of November at Thangapat. The boats are called Hiyang Hiren. The rowers wear traditional dresses and head- gears. Choose the appropriate option. a) Mundum Neriyathumis a traditional dress worn by women in ________________.