Glimpses of Culture in North

India
by

Aulia Rizky Putri Yudawan

Geography
• The Northern part of India is endowed with immense
topographical diversity, historical monuments,
different cultures, wildlife parks and sanctuaries, holy
temples, and rivers. North India are the most
frequent tourist’s destinations in the country.
There are 6 North Indian States and one Union Territory
namely;
• Delhi
• Haryana
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Himacal Pradesh
• Uttarpradesh
• Punjab
• Uttarakhand
 North Indian Music
The music of Northern India is called Hindustani classical music or Shastriya
Sangeet originated from Vedic rural chants. Hindustani classical music came
to be known as Carnatic Classical Music around 12th century. The central
notion in both these systems is that of a melodic mode or raga, sung to a
rhythmic cycle or tala. There are a num­ber of mus­ical in­stru­ments that
we associate with Hindustani sangeet. The most fa­mous is the sitar
 and tabla. Other less well known in­stru­ments are the sarod, 
sarangi and a host of others.

The tradition dates back to the Indian Classical Music is compromised of

seven notes, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni and five half-notes mingled with the
basic notes, result into 12-note scale.
The two principal vocal styles found in the classical music of
Northern India are dhrupad and khyal. The dhrupad style, said to be
the oldest still in use in that musical tradition, first appeared in the
late 16th century. The khyal style, a more free and flexible music
form, began to replace the dhrupad in popularity in the 18th century.
Both music styles are modal in structure with a single melodic line
and no harmonic parts.
In the 1960s, the French ethnomusicologist Alain Daniélou invited
Mohinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar, two masters of dhrupad singing,
to come to Europe to perform and record their music. The brothers,
who learned the musical style from their father, helped to revitalize
this important form of music. The first selection on this recording, an
example of an alap (extended prelude) and dhrupad, was recorded by
Daniélou before Mohinuddin Dagar’s untimely death in 1966.
North Indian Dance
• Jammu & Kashmir
Dumhal: The dance of the Kashmiris is called
as 'Dumhal'. It is performed by dancers wearing
long colorful robes and tall conical caps,
studded with beads and shells. It is mainly the
men folk of Wattal who perform this dance, that
too on specific occasions. While dancing, the
performers sing too, with drums to assist their
lyrics. The party of performers moves in a ritual
manner and digs a banner into the ground, at a
set location. The dance begins with the men
dancing around this banner.
• Himachal Pradesh
Hikat: Hikat is performed by women and comes across as a
modification of a game played by children. Forming pairs, the
participants extend their arms to the front, gripping each other's wrists.
With their body inclined back, they go round and round at the same
spot. Namagen: Namagen is another folk dance that is specific to the
state of Himachal Pradesh. It mainly celebrates the autumnal hue, in
the month of September.
• Uttar Pradesh
Hurka Baul: Hurka Baul is performed during paddy and maize
cultivation, in different fields, by turns. Its name has been derived from
the terms 'hurka', the drum which constitutes the only musical
accompaniment to the dance, and 'baul', the song. The singer narrates
the story of battles and heroic deeds, while the dancers enter from two
opposite sides and enact the stories, in a series of crisp movements.
The farmers form two rows and move backwards, in unison, while
responding to the tunes of the song and the rhythm of the dancers.
North Indian Festivals
• North India is a land of festivities. It is a region that is extremely rich in
heritage and culture. North India is known for having a different set of
traditions and customs for every occasion. A culture to cherish, this region
is the epicentre for a set of joyous, customary festivals. If you ever want to
experience the authenticity of Indian festivals, definitely try to witness the
festivals of north India. Some festivals are widespread over the region,
like Diwali, Holi, Teej, Dussehra, etc., while some that are specific to a
city or area. These are celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm each year.

Let us take a look at the top festivals in North India.

• Kumbh Mela (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh)
• Pushkar Mela (Pushkar, Rajasthan)
• Desert Festival (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan)
• Rann Utsav (Bhuj, Gujarat)
 Pushkar Mela
Kumbh Mela

Sindhu Darshan
Desert Festival
North Indian Cuisine
North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee
(clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients. Gravies are typically dairy-based.
Other common ingredients include chilies, saffron, and nuts. Most of the North Indian people prefer vegetarian
diet except the Kashmiri. Non-vegetarian dishes are famous as well which includes Mughlai.
Tasty and Spicy Punjabi food such as:

• Sarson da Saag
Sarson ka saag is a popular vegetarian dish from the northern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is
made from mustard greens and spices such as ginger and garlic.
It is often served with makki di roti.
• Awadhi Cuisine
• This cuisine is from the city of Lucknow, capital of Uttar
Pradesh and the cooking styles are greatly influenced by
Mughal cooking techniques and bears similarities to those
of Persia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad. This city is well
known for its Nawabi vegetarian and non-vegetarian
foods. Click icon to add picture
• Bihari Cuisine
• Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, and
Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is predominantly vegetarian food
because traditional Bihar society is influenced by Buddhist
and Hindu values non-violence did not eat eggs, chicken,
fish and other animal products. Some popular dishes
from this cuisine are Sattu paratha (stuffed with fried
chickpea flour), Chokha (spicy mashed potatoes), Fish
curry, Bihari Kebab and Postaa-dana kaa halwa.
North Indian Heritage Structures

• Red Fort
• Combining features of Indian, Persian and Timurid
forms of architecture, the Red Fort is truly a
monument par excellence. The architect of the Red
Fort was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, who also designed
the Taj Mahal. It is surrounded by a 2 km perimeter
wall which acted as an effective defensive measure.
The structure of the fort is octagonal, and it has
several gates, the prominent ones being Lahori,
Ajmeri, Kashmiri, Mori, Turkman and Delhi gates. 
• Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan
The largest of its kind in India, the Jantar Mantar in
Jaipur is an astronomical observation site built in the
18th century. It features a set of instruments that assist
with stargazing, including the world’s largest stone
sundial which measures the time of day correct to half a
second.
Music in Indonesia
• Gamelan
It is the most popular and widely spread form of music in Indonesia.  The word
Gamelan comes from Javanese which means mallet or hammer and is a musical
form which is performed with the help of 50-80 instrument orchestra. The
instruments involved are local percussion drums and metallophones. 

This form of music of Indonesia is widely practised in Bali, Java and Lombok

 and it is considered to be a court tradition created by God King Syang Hyang
Guru. The Indonesian government is planning to propose Gamelan as a
UNESCO cultural heritage. Wirun Village located in central Java province is
quite famous among tourists and is home to Gamelan craftsmen for generations.
• Tembang Sunda
This genre of music of Indonesia is also famous by the name of Seni Mamaos
Cianjuran and is said to be a type of sung poetry. It is most popular in western
Java. It evolved in the mid-nineteenth century and has always had much support
from the rich courtly class.

Tembang Sunda is made up of two parts namely vocal and instrumental (pirigan).
The vocals are generally by a solo vocalist accompanied by indigenous music
instruments which are used such as rebab, suling and kacapi indung. Tembang
Sunda which was initially performed at private events such as receptions has
recently started being performed at public concerts as well.
• Dangdut
Dangdut is a very popular music of Indonesia. Termed as
Indonesia’s own pop genre Dangdut has borrowed heavily from
Hindustani and Arabic music. The roots of this genre are said to
be in Arabic Qasidah and as of recent, it has been inspired by the
Western rock and Malaysian film music. 

• Keroncong
Originated in the Tugu village of Jakarta, Keroncong relates to
both a genre of music of Indonesia as well as an instrument
similar to a ukulele. The music is said to have been inspired by
Portuguese music Fado and is popular in Java. It is usually
played with the help of a Kroncrong (the instrument), a flute, a
violin, a cello and melody guitar.

During the early nineteenth century, it evolved into ballroom

dance music such as Keroncong Cha Cha, Keroncong Tango and
Keroncong Foxtrot for the middle class and is now considered as
one of the oldest Indonesian folk music. It is a dying form of
music as it is much ignored by the youth of the country.
Thank You 