INCREdible india!

Bamboozling. There’s simply no other word that convincingly captures the enigma that is
India. In a country as diverse and complex as India, it is not surprising to find that people
here reflect the rich glories of the past, the culture, traditions and values relative to
geographic locations and the numerous distinctive manners, habits and food that will always
remain truly Indian. The food, clothing and habits of an Indian differ in accordance to the
place of origin. With over one billion people, it is the second most populous country in the
world and the world's largest liberal democracy. India has 28 states and 7 territories, and
recognizes 22 official languages spoken across its diverse regions.India is one of the top 12
megabiodiverse countries in the world. India has all kind of geographic features from
tropical desert to polar desert, , from snow-dusted mountains to sun-washed beaches,
tranquil temples to feisty festivals, lantern-lit villages to software-supremo cities, it’s hardly
surprising that this country has been dubbed the world’s most multidimensional. India even
has the world's third pole, equatorial climate to arctic! Love it or loathe it. India promises to
jostle your entire being, and no matter where you go or what you do, it’s a place you’ll
never forget.

India is the most religious country in the world. India is a land of many religions with its
deep historical roots. It is the home to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and has also
given adequate space to migratory religions like Islam and Christianity. Indian religion is not
reachable without understanding its religious beliefs and practices, which have a large
impact on the society and its people. The years of foreign rule, religious movements, and
spiritual discoveries in the ancient land of India has given way to a rich potpourri of social
habits, festivals, and customs. There are also numerous cults in India, each practicing their
own ideologies and interpretations of the major religions. 

Indians believe in sharing happiness and sorrow. A festival or a celebration is never

constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in
bringing liveliness to an occasion. A lot of festivals like Diwali, Holi, Id, Christmas and
Mahaveer Jayanthi are all celebrated by sharing sweets and pleasantries with family,
neighbours and friends. An Indian wedding is an occasion that calls for participation of the
family and friends. Similarly, neighbours and friends always help out a family in times of
need

By some counts there are over 200 languages in India ,almost 1600, if you include dialects,
Enough to confuse a linguist. Imagine a nation where the population does not understand
their national anthem or the President's address to the nation. That is India for you.English
remains the additional official language ; it is the authoritative and judicial language. In
fact, one could say that English is the official language in India for all practical purposes.

Apart from the more widely spoken English and Hindi, there are also various regional
languages. Each state has its own language which is also its official language. The
Constitution of India lists 18 such regional languages. 
And then there’s the food! From squidgy South Indian idlisto zesty north Indian curries,
foodies can look forward to savouring a seductive smorgasbord of specialties. Rich and
diverse Indian cuisine is simply tempting and irresistible. The North Indian, South Indian,
East and West Indian Cuisine have their own flavour and specialties. The food habits of the
one billion Indians varies by the availability of raw materials, cooking traditions, local spices,
and interestingly their religious faiths. Indian cuisine are characterized by their sophisticated
and subtle use of various types of spices and herbs.The spices play an important role in
Indian food. There are so many spices to appeal to different parts of the body that the
English language does not have adequate adjectives to describe them.

India also has a number of sweet dishes, mostly based on sugar and milk , such as jelebi,
barfi, rice kheer and kulfi.

India remains the only country where unstitched clothing is still popular. The Saree, Lungi,
Dhoti and Turbans are all worn this way. It is the way of wearing where the styles differ.
Tailored Indian clothing includes Salwar-Kameez,  collarless jackets, Kurtas, and western
attires for both men and women.

Using the body as a medium of communication, Indian dance has developed as an easily
understood art form. Dance in India has ooze into several other zones like poetry, sculpture,
architecture, literature, music and theatre. Dance in india includes bharatanatyam, kathak,
odissi and kuchupadi

Indian arts and crafts has made its special place and is well renowned all over the world.
The history of Indian crafts dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The major art and
craft of India includes Indian handicrafts like paintings, sculptures, textile, jewelry, stone
and woodcrafts and much more. These tradition craft have withstood the devastation of
time and continue to evolve in a influential and pulsing manner.

Once you touch down on subcontinental soil, you’ll quickly discover that cricket – India’s
sporting obsession – is one of the most spirited topics of conversation, along with the latest
shenanigans in the razzle-dazzle world of Bollywood. However, it is politics – whether at the
national, state or village level – that consistently dominates news headlines. On the home
front, economic matters feature high on the national political agenda. With one of the
world’s fastest-growing economies, India has certainly made giant strides over the past
decade.

India therefore can be defined as a land where humanity has lived since ages; where
different religions, societies, cultures, languages have interplayed with each other in
harmony; a land which has seen the best and the worst of everything; a land where religion
means more than their name; a place where nature has bestowed itself in all its colors to
end ; a land which shall remain itself till eternity.