India is a diverse country. Here the nature of cultural diversity of India can be understood on the basis of language, religion, food, dance, music etc. The difference in these cultural expressions can be seen from north to south and from east to west. But in the midst of these morphological differences, there are also threads of unity, which form a national identity.
Cultural Elements and National Identity of Diversity in India-
(1) Diversity of Language in India- India is a country of multilingual people. 1600 languages are spoken here, but many Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages are believed to have evolved from Sanskrit. In fact, in the midst of linguistic diversity, there has always been such a language in India that has been working to connect the whole of India in a single link. Sanskrit did this work in ancient times, while in modern times the English language is carrying forward this work. Culture Elements of Diversity in India – Many cultural elements contribute to the diversity of India.
(2) Religious diversity- Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, etc. religions and the various sects within these religions reflect the religious diversity of India. But the element of unity among this diversity is the unique identity of Indian culture. All these religions appear different due to different worship systems, religious texts, but are the same at the level of values. All religions teach morality and humanity to their followers and this is the reason that in today’s time Akshardham Temple, Ajmer Sharif Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and Varanasi are visited by people of all religions and sects for spiritual peace.
(3) Diversity in arts – Indian cultural diversity is also visible in the arts here. India’s artistic diversity is visible from Kathak to Bharatnatyam and from the Taj Mahal in Agra to the Sun Temple in Orissa. Various performing arts have established an Indian identity by removing the distinction of religion and caste. Today the Sun Temple of Orissa, the Taj Mahal of Agra and the Buddhist monuments of Sanchi are not known for the artistic forms of Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, respectively, but as the national heritage of India.
(4) Diversity of food – Along with geographical diversity in India, diversity is also seen in the food of the people. Litti Chaukh of Bihar, Biriyani of Hyderabad, Idli of South India, Sambhar reflect the diversity of Indian cuisine, but these foods are not only used by the people of one region but are prevalent throughout the country. Biriyani of Hyderabad is easily found in the cities of North India and Litti Chaukha in the southern states. In this way all the food items represent Indian cuisine. In fact, people of different religions, castes and languages living in the same region in India participate in each other’s festivals, happiness and sorrow in such a way that it becomes difficult to identify their different culture.
