Some Ayurvedic herbs such as terminalia chebula or emblica officinalis, are indigenous only to India, and have no estern equivalent (Bushkin pp). Amlaki, Indian gooseberry, is the cornerstone of Chyavan-prash, the most famous Ayurvedic formulation, which is a potent anti-inflammatory, immune builder, and lower cholesterol (Bushkin pp). Ginger improves digestions and helps to ward of colds and coughs, while Gota kola improves cognitive function and increases collagen in veins and arteries (Bushkin pp). Shallaki, a sticky tree gum resin, is a "super strength anti-inflammatory that effectively treats both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis," and its pain relieving effects are considered comparable to morphine (Bushkin pp). Cloves is considered another pain reliever, while Shatavari, wild asparagus, is the female tonic used to treat symptoms of menopause and enhance the immune function, and garlic is used as an antibacterial and anti-parasitic (Bushkin pp).
Spices, used to enhance the flavor of a dish, are…...
mlaWorks Cited
Food Taboos; pp. http://library.thinkquest.org/18802/everfood.htm
Food in India; pp. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/food.htm
Bushkin, Estitta. "Ayurveda: Health Lessons From the Ancients."
Health Products Business; 10/1/1999; pp
Indian Culture & the Dalit Class
The economic boom in India which is riding on a burgeoning technology and services sectors has not reached the deep recesses of Indian culture, particularly in rural areas of India where culture is entrenched and access to the new economy is constrained. Producer iobhan innerton and Ramita Navai from Unreported World expose the terrible circumstances of the 170 million Dalits -- the broken people or the untouchables -- to light. The most oppressed group of humans anywhere on earth, the Dalits inhabit the bottom of the Indian caste system -- a place as symbolic as it is real. This paper very briefly considers the Dalit's existence from a social conflict perspective, a structural-functional perspective, and from a symbolic interactions perspective.
tructural functional perspective. tructural violence is deeply embedded in the foundation of a society -- in their way of being over the long-term. When generation after…...
mlaStructural violence is known to be insidious, happening subtly and indirectly, to entire classes or groups of people. As James Gillian (1983) argued, the more marginalized people are, the greater their rate of death and disability -- not because of intrinsic differences between the socio-economic strata from which they hail -- but because of differences in their life experiences and treatment. The nexus at which status inequalities are accepted and embedded in a society is culture. The term cultural violence refers to the legitimizing process that occurs when structural violence is viewed as normative by a society. The Indian caste system is a most exact example of cultural violence.
Social conflict perspective. Structural violence -- the forces that created and sustain the caste system in India -- is a phenomenon made manifest through social inequalities (Christie, 1997). The organizational structures of political and economic systems -- in fact, of every system within which marginalized people come in contact -- cause and sustain the sort of hierarchical relations that enable dramatic differences between and across sectors of societies. Within these hierarchies -- which are dramatically present in Indian castes -- the people at the top have privilege, wealth, and power, while those at the bottom of the hierarchy are dominated, oppressed, and exploited (Christie, 1997). People are harmed and killed as a result of structural violence but, unlike direct violence, it is subtle, occurring more slowly and more pervasively. However, we are shown in the video, the ease with which structural violence is coupled with direct violence.
Structural violence has historical, psychological, sociological, and economic roots. When there is enduring belief in the immutable nature, or historical rightness, of differential treatment of people, very real struggles can and do occur between the classes in a society. A sense of psychological rightness, which is typically based on individual perspectives of superiority or inferiority, can make structural violence difficult to identify. Certainly, economic and sociological forces condition the environment in which cultural conflict or structural violence thrives. Inequalities in supply and demand result in economic struggles for survival -- the reality is that there are not enough of the basic commodities for all members of a society, so some people will be deliberately and systematically cut off (Christie,
India's culture has been evolving for more than five thousand years. It began with the start of human civilization. It's a reflection of human history that carries with it a story of great people and amazing history. Indian culture uses rich and beautiful colors in all aspects of life, whether you see it through rugs and paintings, or through textiles and architecture.
"The Indian culture is rooted in colorful traditions that date back to ancient history."( Kohler, 2000-2011) A civilization known as Harappa, created a religion that is considered the oldest living religion. We know this religion as Hinduism. "India has traditionally been one of the most religiously tolerant in the world."( obinson, 2012) "However in 1998, a Hindu nationalistic political party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controlled the government of India. The linkage of religion, the national government, and nationalism led to a degeneration of the separation of church and…...
mlaReferences
A and U. Kohler, (2013). www.sights-and-culture.com
Santosh Desal, 3/15/09 Logic of arranged marriage in India .Timesofindia.indiantimes.com
B.A. Robinson, 1995-2012 Religious tolerance. www.religioustolerance.org
Doing Business in India. www.kwintesstial.co.uk
By seeing the determination of their fathers and mothers as they focused on acting for the benefit of the tribe, children learned that it was essential for them to behave similarly when they would become adults. Depending on their gender, children gradually developed characters that assisted them as warriors or as planter-gatherers.
Children were instructed in regard to religion and ethics by their parents and by the tribe in general. Most of their intellect was fueled by stories that they heard from the elders, and, even though they were entertained by them, they also learnt important cultural values and customs during the process of storytelling. Native Americans were particularly concerned about understanding changes in their lives. As a result, tribes performed various customs whenever one would experience transit from one stage in their life to another. While girls would be considered adults at the time of their first menstruation, boys…...
Bollywood
Indian culture is clearly demonstrative of a postcolonial culture. The post- colonial nature of the country, as well as its intrinsic diversity drastically effect the expressions of culture and the arts. One foundational example is the movie industry within the country. Nicknamed "Bollywood" by the west it is both an essential part of the new India and a challenge to the traditional and neo-traditional standards of the diverse culture. One of the ways in which this industry has attempted to create a standard entirely Indian is through the content of its works.
Though Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding is clearly a departure from mainstream Bollywood the production of the work boasts some very similar characteristics to traditional works in Indian theater, the traditional musical and entertainment value of the dance and musical scenes and of coarse the rich and colorful nature of the ceremonial scenes. The character development and colorful ascetic clearly…...
mlaReferences
Chute, D. Monsoon Wedding (January-February, 2002) Review in FILM COMMENT, at: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3102/Monsoon.htm.
Gillespie, E.R. (2002) Monsoon Wedding Review at edding.html;COXnetJSessionID=BNzYs1Rl1QzbycgcMMUGIlexcMPjsyXeD1http://www.lufkindailynews.com/movies/content/shared/movies/M/monsoonw
RtnLGtUMgG213WqIFM!1007287634?urac=n&urvf=10956113525660.39102
India Pops into U.S. Culture. (2003, August 2). The Washington Times, p. C01. Retrieved September 15, 2004, from Questia database, http://www.questia.com .
Enlightened evolutionary
Asoka was the Indian royal leader of the Maurya dynasty founded by his grandfather, Chandragupta. He is considered as one of the greatest monarch of ancient India. It was under his reign that almost the whole India as well as Baluchistan and Afghanistan were brought together under one control for the very first time in Indian history. As legends state, Asoka was regretful and sorry for all the suffering he had imposed during his conquest of the state of Kalinga. Thus, to get back his peace of mind and spiritual satisfaction, he accepted Buddhism and abandoned all bloody wars and brutal conquests. His belief in ahimsa or nonviolence is declared in the inscriptions that provide knowledge of Asoka's rule. He was a firm advocate who clearly stated his credence in tolerance of all faiths. It was also under Asoka's period of influence that India prospered and art flourished. Other…...
mlaReferences
"Asoka." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2009. Questia. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. .
Basham, A.L. "III History: Ancient and Medieval Empires." The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent before the Coming of the Muslims. New York: Grove Press, 1954. 44-78. Questia. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <
Indian Culture
One of the oldest cultures in the world is the Indian culture as the society started experiencing civilization some 4500 years ago. As at today, India is an extremely diverse nation, boasting a population of over 1.2 billion, a number which makes it the second most populous country after China. Several dynasties, conquerors and religions have contributed to Indian history bringing about a fascinating culture blend as well as a wide variety of ethnicities present within the country. The British take-over and subsequent governance of India which came to an end in 1947 when the Indian Independence Act was signed into law equally added to the already rich culture. This Act separated Pakistan and India into separate countries with the Hindus settling in India while the Muslims settled in Pakistan (eCald, 2016).
Language
India is South Asia's largest country. Indians speak over 17 major languages and about 200 dialects: Marathi, Bengali,…...
mlaREFERENCES
eCald. (2016). Indian Culture. Retrieved June 26, 2017, from eCald: http://www.ecald.com/Portals/49/Docs/Toolkits/C2%20S2%20Indians.pdf
Zimmermann, K. A. (2015, January 30). Indian Culture: Traditions and Customs of India. Retrieved June 26, 2017, from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html
(Kamat, 2004)
Historical Themes in Chhau dances
The themes behind the Chhau dances have very strong political ties. "Formerly there were 26 (twenty six) Feudatory states in Orissa Province, Sareikala a former 'A' class legendary princely State was one of them, now a District named Sareikala-Kharswan of Jharkhand state is situated to the north of Orissa on the bank of river Kharkai and surrounded by the big hills and rivers have given as much more protection to the former state barely 45 KM from the Iron and Steel city of Jamshedpur." (Chhaudance, 2004)
Singhbhumi, known as the land of the Lion was unconquered and therefore as close to a free state for many centuries. This is most likely the true origin for the principles of the classical style of tribal folk dances. "The Chhau Dance has been nurtured under an atmosphere of independence, undisturbed by outside influences. It represented a ' School…...
mlaReferences
Chhaudance. (n.d.). History of Chhau Dance. Retrieved on November 30, 2004, at http://www.chhau.com/homehistory.htm
Kamat. (n.d.). Masked Chhau Folk Dancer from West Bengal. Retrieved on November 30, 2004, at http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/dances/4595.htm
Indian Dance
Indian Education/Boarding Schools
Indian boarding schools were designed to assimilate Native American children into the greater American (white) culture. Students at the schools suffered from poor diet, illness and harsh discipline. As a result of these deficiencies, and the high cost of running the boarding schools, they began to disappear from the American landscape in the 1930s.
Indian education from the 1880s to the 1920s was designed to assimilate the American Indian population into the greater American society. This was accomplished by placing Native American Indian children into institutions where the traditional ways of Indian society were replaced by government-sanctioned behaviors and beliefs. Native American children were removed from their families, and enrolled in government-run boarding schools.
Boarding schools first became vogue prior to the American Civil ar. During this time, idealistic reformers put forth the idea that Indians could become "civilized" with the proper education and treatment. Prior to this time, most…...
mlaWorks Cited
Marr, Carolyn J. Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Libraries. Digital Collections. 19 October 2002. http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/marr/biblio.html
Kelley, Matt. The Associated Press. American Indian boarding schools: 'That hurt never goes away'. Wednesday, April 28, 1999. 19 October 2002. http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSFeatures9904/28_indians.html
"Fish becomes the leitmotif in the story. Mrs. Sen's existence as also her survival in an alien land revolves around and depends upon this food item. hen she gets it she is happy, and when it is absent from her kitchen for a long time, she sulks like a child. For Mrs. Sen fish becomes her home, her state, her neighborhood, her friend and her family. Fish gives her a sense of proximity to her people. The arrival of a tasty halibut gives her pleasure as nothing else does" (Choubey 2001). But when Mrs. Sen is rebuked for the smell of her prized fish, even this source of connection with home, however, tenuous, becomes perverted.
Some of the characters of the Interpreter of Maladies learn to negotiate their new identities and cultural terrains and bridge the cultural gaps that exist between themselves and their fellow Indians, as well as with…...
mlaWorks Cited
Choubey, Asha. "Food as Metaphor in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies."
The Literature and Culture of the Indian Subcontinent on the Postcolonial Web. Last modified 2001. [8 Dec 2007.]
http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/post/india/literature/lahiri/choubey1.html
Lahiri, Jhumpa Interpreter of Maladies and other stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Indian Nationalism
The ge of Colonialism was drawing to a close, as the spirit of nationalism swept over the subcontinent. s similar political movements took place throughout Europe and other parts of sia, India found itself in a unique position. India had been a diverse, heterogeneous region for centuries; even millennia. The nationalist movement highlighted the differences between the various ethnic groups in the subcontinent, revealing their core differences in political and social philosophy. Initial nationalist movements were led by the Indian National Congress Party, as well as the Muslim League. The Indian National Congress Party did not start out as being a Hindu organization, and never officially declared itself as such. Yet over time, the Congress Party became associated with Hindu goals. The Congress Party was founded as early as 1885, when it was a umbrella group for a diverse constituency. Their only shared goal seemed to be the ousting…...
mlaAlthough most Muslims did support the Indian National Congress Party, a large number sought more robust representation in the nationalist movement and supported instead the All-India Muslim League. Conflicts between Hindu and Muslim Indians started brewing during the early 20th century. In 1905, the state of Bengal was divided -- partitioned along religious lines. Indians did not approve of the British interference with their nationalist movement, seeking instead of more holistic political rubric under which to form a new nation. The populist revolt forced the British to reunify Bengal. After British conscripted Indian soldiers to fight in World War One, the anger against the colonialist government grew. The British passed ever-stricter acts in an attempt to quell the civic unrest. Protests that began peacefully ended in violence on the part of the British government.
Gandhi's model was appealing to Indians on many levels and from many backgrounds. Satyagraha hearkened to the roots of Indian philosophy, which transcended sectarian beliefs. Non-violence and peaceful coexistence with neighbors had been part of the Indian culture for centuries prior to the Raj. The Raj seemed to exacerbate ethnic and religious differences, as if a "divide and conquer" methodology was used by the Crown in order to rule over the complex colony. The Indian Nationalist movement therefore became linked inextricably with Gandhi's nonviolence movement. Gandhi became a model for India's future: one that was free of colonial rule but which would also be poised to be a world leader.
Unfortunately, continued clashes between Hindu and Muslim citizens led to an imperfect solution in the subcontinent: partition. As early as the 1930s, the foundation for Pakistan was laid. There were many stones left unturned in the northern subcontinent, though: as Bangladesh later separated itself and the Kashmir issue has yet to be solved peacefully.
However, the Kolenda text is somewhat prescient in identifying some of the ways that Indian society has adjusted to change as modernization has become a matter of inevitability. Indeed, Kolenda denotes entering into the discussion that "the shape of India emerging will be different from the shape of modern estern societies. Caste in its new transformations will be an important contributing factor to determining that shape." (Kolenda, i) as Kolenda's is a text which was composed in 1985, this renders it a particularly insightful set of predictions on how the desire of traditionalists and the culturally elite to maintain ancient systems of class demarcation will find balance with the push of the global community to assume a more democratically driven strategy for socioeconomic organization.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, one is left with the sense that a subject such as this would best be explored in a study with a more current context. That…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Kolenda, P. (1985). Caste in Contemporary India. Waveland Press.
In histoy, in most of the Indian families, the inheitance of the estates of the family is left to the lineage of males in the family. Though since the yea 1956, the law in India has always teated females and males as equals in mattes of inheitance whee thee is no legal will witten. Cuently, Indians have become wise and ae using legal wills fo the inheitance and succession of popety. The usage of legal wills at of the yea 2004 stands at about 20%.
The ate of divoce in India is extemely low. It stands at 1% as compaed to 40% which is expeienced in the U.S. These statistics of divoce do not, howeve, give a complete pictue of the divoce situation in India. This is because many maiages that end up being split do so without a fomal divoce. Thee is a eseach gap in the scientific studies…...
mlareferences. [Article]. Journal of Food Science, 69(4), SNQ191-SNQ192. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb06362.x
Johnson, H. (2007). 'Happy Diwali!' Performance, Multicultural Soundscapes and Intervention in Aotearoa/New Zealand. [Article]. Ethnomusicology Forum, 16(1), 71-94. doi: 10.1080/17411910701276526
Kurien, P.A. (2006). Multiculturalism and "American" Religion: The Case of Hindu Indian-Americans. Social Forces, 85(2), 723-741.
Mandair, a. (2007). Interdictions: Language, Religion & the (dis)Orders of Indian Identity. [Article]. Social Identities, 13(3), 337-361. doi: 10.1080/13504630701363978
Mintz, S.W., & Bois, C.M.D. (2002). The Anthropology of Food and Eating. Annual Review of Anthropology, 31(ArticleType: research-article / Full publication date: 2002 / Copyright © 2002 Annual Reviews), 99-119.
The underlying beliefs from which their entire cultures were based on stemmed from the exact same teachings of religious hierarchy, explanations about an unfamiliar world, and beliefs that brought social order to their respective societies.
Family life was an aspect that both united and differentiated the Indians from the Europeans. Early on it was evident to the Europeans that family life was vastly essential to the Indians who valued their family more than anything. To the Indians, outsiders were just that: outsiders. As Kupperman stated, "whereas in England most children left home in early adolescence, Indian parents kept them at home until they were adults" (Kupperman a. 153). This notion was viewed as something novel to the English who saw their own family unit and respect as deteriorating (Kupperman b. 133). The Indians depended on one another for virtually everything. Indian parents cared for their children in such a way…...
mlaWorks Cited:
DuVal, Kathleen. The Native Ground: Indians and Colonists in the Heart of the Continent. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2006. Print.
Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. Indians and English: Facing off in Early America. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 2000. Print.
Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. Major Problems in American Colonial History: Documents and Essays. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. The Atlantic in World History. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.
omanist ReadingNadars reading of Ruth is from a Hindu womans perspective, which is to say from a perspective of stigma. Nadars first assertion in her article is that Hindu women are viewed in her society with contempt: when a womans husband dies, it is believed to be good form for a woman to burn herself in immolation on the same funeral pyre as her deceased husband, because a woman is not expected to be able to sustain herself, support herself or think for herselfand without a man or husband there to assist her, she might as well despair. An independent woman is one quite out of the ordinary in Hindu culture. If a mother is widowed, it is expected that a son should take care of herbut what if there is no son? The story of Ruth is thus one that resonates with Nadar and her experiences as an Indian…...
mlaWorks CitedNadar, Sarojini. “A South African Indian Womanist Reading of the Character of Ruth.”
1. The Role of Bengal in Shaping Indian Literature: A Study of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Influence
2. Bengali Literature: A Reflection of India's Cultural Diversity and Identity
3. Anandamath by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay: The Literary Beacon of Indian Nationalism
4. The Significance of 'Vande Mataram' in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Anandamath
5. Bengal: The Cradle of Indian Literary Renaissance
6. The Variegated Tableau of Indian Literature: A Study of Dialects and Languages
7. Bengal's Contribution to India's Socio-Political Transformation Through Literature
8. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay: An Architect of India's Literary Landscape
9. Interweaving Cultural Identity and Patriotic Zeal in Bengali Literature
10. The....
1. The Enduring Legacy of Gandhar: Exploring Its Contribution to Indian Art, Culture, and Society
Trace the origins and evolution of Gandhar art, highlighting its unique characteristics and influences.
Examine the role of Gandhar art in the development of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism.
Discuss the impact of Gandhar art on regional and international artistic traditions.
2. Gandhar: A Crossroads of Civilizations - Art and Architecture as a Reflection of Cultural Exchange
Analyze the artistic influences of Greek, Persian, and Indian cultures on Gandhar art.
Explore the architectural innovations of Gandhar monasteries and stupas, drawing connections to other religious traditions.
Discuss the....
Some symbolic meanings often portrayed in traditional Indian paintings include:
1. Lotus flower: Symbolizes beauty, purity, and the divine power of creation.
2. Elephant: Represents wisdom, strength, prosperity, and good fortune.
3. Peacock: Symbolizes beauty, grace, and immortality.
4. Tree of life: Represents the interconnectedness of all living beings and the cycle of life and death.
5. Mandala: Represents wholeness, unity, and harmony, and is often used as a meditative tool.
6. Gods and goddesses: Depicted in various forms and poses, they represent different aspects of life, such as love, power, knowledge, and protection.
7. Krishna and Radha: Depict the eternal love and devotion between the divine....
Animal Symbolism
Elephant: Strength, power, wisdom, and prosperity
Cow: Fertility, motherhood, and sacredness
Peacock: Beauty, grace, and royalty
Monkey: Playfulness, agility, and cunning
Snake: Duality, transformation, and immortality
Nature Symbolism
Lotus Flower: Purity, enlightenment, and spiritual growth
Bodhi Tree: Awakening, enlightenment, and refuge
Ganesha's Belly: Abundance and nourishment
Sun and Moon: Day and night, or the balance between light and darkness
Mountains: Spirituality and the path to enlightenment
Deity Symbolism
Shiva's Third Eye: Wisdom, insight, and power to destroy illusion
Krishna's Blue Skin: Divine love and compassion
Hanuman's Tail: Strength and loyalty
Lakshmi's Lotus: Fortune, beauty, and prosperity
Durga's Spear: Protection, victory,....
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