Culture of North India 
People
India is probably the only country with the largest and most diverse mixture
of races. All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian
and Negroid - find representation among the people of India.
History The history of India
is shrouded in antiquity. The country has been thought of as a nation of philosophers
with a well-developed and even idyllic society. Excavations of sites belonging
to the Harappan era show that the people lived in brick houses in towns with excellent
drainage. One of the oldest scriptures in the world is the four-volume Vedas that
many regard as the repository of national thoughts that anticipated some of the
modern scientific discoveries.
National Anthem Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka,
jaya hey, Bharata-bhagya-vidhata punjaba-sindhu-gujarata-maratha dravida-utkala-banga
vindhya-himachala-yamuna-ganga ucchhala-jaladhi taranga tava subha name jage tava
subha ashisha mage gahe tava jaya gatha. Jana-gana-mangala dayaka, jaya hey, bharata-bhagya-vidhata,
java he, jaya he, jaya he, java jaya jaya, jaya he.
Fairs
& Festivals India is a rich land which has attracted invaders from
Central Europe and Asia who left their imprint on this land, its religions and
its lifestyles over 40 centuries. The Greeks , under Al-exander the great, travelled
as far down as the lower Indus River which they mis pronounced as the "Hindu
River" Consequently, all the various in vaders, with their conflicting faiths,
who inhabited the land of the Indus River were called Hindus and their land, Hindustan.
It was shortened to "HIND", then "IND" and finally INDIA.
Physical Features
India, with an area of 3.3 million sq. km, is a subcontinent. The peninsula is
separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The country lies between 8°
4' and 37° 6' north of the Equator and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal
in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Religions
The Hindu religion had its origin in the concepts
of the early Aryans who came to India more than 4,000 years ago. It is not merely
a religion but also philosophy and a way of life. Hinduism does not originate
in the teachings of any one prophet or holy book. It respects other religions
and does not attempt to seek converts. It teaches the immortality of the human
soul and three principal paths to ultimate union of the individual soul with the
all-pervasive spirit.
