—..Respecting Regiona| Differences In Bhogpur township of Punjab, people belonging to different castes ang religions live in harmony. There are no signs of any discrimination among different communities. They speak different languages like Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, etc. They celebrate many festivals together like Deepawali, Holi, Eid, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Mahaveer Jayanti, ete. People wear different types of dresses. The women wear salwar-kameez, sarees and lahenga-choli. The men wear kurta- pyjama, tehmad (lungi)-kameez, salwar- hameez or pant-shirt. Most people here are vegetarians but they respect those who enjoy non-vegetarian food. Map of Punjab India is a vast country. People living in different regions of our country have different food habits, dresses, languages, religions, customs and traditions. The food habits of the people of a region depend upon the location, climate and crops grown. For example, rice is cultivated widely in South India. Hence, rice is the staple diet of people there. They cook an amazing variety of rice dishes. Almonds grow in Kashmir and therefore, form an important ingredient of many Kashmiri dishes. The understanding and respect for the food habits la i i » langua and beliefs of others have made Indian culture rich and insets Chena we will explore Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Rajasthan to hi light : diversity in Indian culture. ‘ahlight the great 68 ceeANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANV> Andaman and Nicobar is a group of 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal. put only 38 islands are inhabited mainly by six groups of tribals—the Great Andamanese, the Jarawas, the Sentinelese, the Onges, the Nicobarese and the Shompens. Even today they maintain their customs and traditions and live in harmony with nature. Art and Architecture In olden times the islanders lived in caves, tree houses or thatched huts. Some buildings were made on the islands during the British rule. The Cellular Jail is the most well-known, building as many freedom fighters were jailed here. The popular crafts Indian Secon Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are palm mats, wooden show pieces, cane and bamboo wall hangings. Andaman Cellular Jail Food habits Marina Park, Port Blair In earlier times all tribals of these islands were hunters. Hence, there was no particular form of cuisine. But now gea food is quite popular here like fish, prawns,etc) The increasing touch of the islands with the rest of India hag real variety of food items here. You can easily find North Indian popularised @ O'S" ‘Jishes) here. South Indian food is quite common here, Rog Se Git of the islanders. The main crops grown here are pulses, oilseeds is the staple or onut, areca nut, mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya) vegetables, orn now. Spices like pepper, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon form ineapple and cas! important ingredients of the food of the islands. crabs, lobsters, Dress In earlier times the tribals did not wear clothes. The Sentinelese tribe does not wear clothes even now. The Shompens-use clothes only below their waist, By, many tribals have now started wearing clothes. The Jarawas use a lot of jewellery to adorn their bodies. Their necklaces, arm and waist bands are made of shells and barks of trees. Religion The religion of the inhabitants of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is called the Animism. The tribals believe that in earlier times their deity Paluga, resided at the highest mountain peak of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—the Saddle Peak. But now the deity lives higher up in the sky. The followers of animism believe in souls, ghosts and spirits, Now many people follow Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Followers of animism Dance and Music The islanders celebrate most Indian festivals like Durga Puja, Pongal, Panguni Uthiram, Onam, Mahashivaratri, Janmashtami, Holi, Diwali, Christmas and Good Friday with dance and music, Nicobari dance is the traditional dance of Andaman and Nicobar. It can be seen during the Ossuary Feast, commonly known as the Pig Festival. The Nicobari danceandamanese are fond of their traditional music. The dancers move gracefully to ye music and songs of the Onge tribe. Languages The most common languages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindi and English today. People also speak Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, — Punjabi, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Gujarati and Karen. The Karen language has a Burmese script and alphabets. The tribals have their own dialects. Only the Nicobarese dialect has a script of its own. ea RAJASTHAN Rajasthan is a favourite destination for Indian as well as foreign tourists. They are attracted to its colourful history, beautiful art and architecture, folk music, dances and handicrafts. Jaipur, the capital city, is famous as the ‘Pink City’. Do You Know? ~ The harmonious blend of different religions, languages and ethnic groups has made the Andaman and Nicobar Islands famous as ‘Mini India’. Mand Architecture Rajasthan is dotted with innumerable forts, palaces, havelies and step wells. They are a great attraction for tourists from all over the world. The buildings have huge courtyards, gardens, corridors and jharokhas. The use of red stone, marble inlay and filigree work add beauty to the buildings. The walls of most buildings are decorated with beautiful paintings. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur Lake Palace, Udaipurbeans, gram and arcity of water. pendent on pulses, desert due to sc The cuisine of Rajasthan is mainly de kodi and dal-batti-choorma, are in the spices as it was difficult to grow vegetables in -kadi, Pal Hence, the traditional dishes, like gatte-kikadl lie fresh vegetables, fruits and ju based on channa horse gram end PU r 1y sufficient water for irrigation s canals SUPP! grown in Rajasthan a { here are changing- other items are Hence, the food habits of the people Do You Know? Most people in Rajasthan are (rabbit meat Vegetarian although the Rajput warriors hunted and enjoyed a variety ‘of non-vegetarian dishes. Khud Khargosh | _ cooked in a pit) is a famous Rajput speciality. | Dress The dyers of Rajasthan are masters in the art of tie and dye. The colourful dresses, made from bandhini, lehariya and motra, are world famous, Mw There is a great demand for Rajasthani ghagras, ‘odhinis and cholis with embroidery, block printing, . Ua a mirror and gota work, The Rajasthani men wear traditional dresses like dhoti, banda and oes Tie and dye 7 Do You Know? | ES e Different styles of tying | turbans are followed in = Rajasthan. Styles of wearing a turban Jreligion i, Shi Ge s worship God Agni, Vishnu, Varuna, Sun, Shiva ang oddess follow Jainism, Christanity and Islam. They the Hindus Kti. Many people in Rajasthan f festivals like Teej, Gangaur, Diwali, shal Dusshera, Christmas, Id. colebrat etc. . Do You Know? S| shkar), shrine of Sufi Saint, Brahma Temple (Pu isti_ (Ajmer) attract pilgrims from all over e a variety Of Dance and Music Ly 7 ec. Gent /Rajasthanis célebrate life wit music and dance. The songs of poets like Kabir, Malookdas, Meera are an important part of, the folk music of Rajasthan. Some Rajasthani communities like Bhats, Chaians, Bhopas and Dholis are famous musicians. The popular dances of Rajasthan are Ghoomer, Chari, Kachi Ghodi, etc.) Bhats of Rajasth Languages ayaa Ghoomer dance of Rajasthan The main language of Rajasthan is Hindi 7 is Hindi but 7 spoken here like Marwari, Mewari, Mewati, Dhundhar i. Serer Isn't it wonderful to have such a variation i 5 a 7 fariation in , differences is an integral part of Indian heritage country? Respect for regional