Culture

"that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society."

Aspect of human
Culture is a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range
of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human
societies. The word is used in a general sense as the evolved ability to
categorize and represent experiences with symbols and to act imaginatively
and creatively. This ability arose with the evolution of behavioral modernity
in humans around 50,000 years ago.
This capacity is often thought to be unique to humans, although some
other species have demonstrated similar, though much less complex abilities
for social learning. It is also used to denote the complex networks of
practices and accumulated knowledge and ideas that is transmitted through
social interaction and exist in specific human groups, or cultures, using the
plural form.
Some aspects of human behavior, such as language, social practices
such as kinship, gender and marriage, expressive forms such as music,
dance, ritual, religion, and technologies such as cooking, shelter, and
clothing are said to be cultural universals, found in all human societies. The
concept material culture covers the physical expressions of culture, such as
technology, architecture and art, whereas the immaterial aspects of culture
such as principles of social organization (including, practices of political
organization and social institutions), mythology, philosophy, literature (both
written and oral), and science make up the intangible cultural heritage of a
society.

Etymology
The modern term "culture" is based on a term used by the Ancient
Roman orator Cicero in his Tusculanae Disputationes, where he wrote of a
cultivation of the soul or "cultura animi", using an agricultural metaphor for
the development of a philosophical soul, understood teleologically as the
highest possible ideal for human development. Samuel Pufendorf took over
this metaphor in a modern context, meaning something similar, but no

longer assuming that philosophy was man's natural perfection. His use, and
that of many writers after him "refers to all the ways in which human beings
overcome their original barbarism, and through artifice, become fully
human".

Philosopher Edward S. Casey:

"The very word culture meant "place tilled" in Middle English, and the
same word goes back to Latin colere, "to inhabit, care for, till, worship." To be
cultural, to have a culture, is to inhabit a place sufficiently intensely to
cultivate it - to be responsible for it, to respond to it, to attend to it caringly."
Velkley:
... originally meant the cultivation of the soul
or mind, acquires most of its later modern meanings in the writings of the
18th-century German thinkers, who were on various levels developing
Rousseau's criticism of modern liberalism and Enlightenment. Thus a
contrast between "culture" and "civilization" is usually implied in these
authors, even when not expressed as such. Two primary meanings of culture
emerge from this period: culture as the folk-spirit having a unique identity
and culture as cultivation of waywardness or free individuality. The first
meaning is predominant in our current use of the term "culture," although
the second still plays a large role in what we think culture should achieve,
namely the full "expression" of the unique or "authentic" self.

EFFECTS OF CULTURE
Cultural invention has come to mean any
innovation that is new and found to be useful to a group of people and
expressed in their behavior but which does not exist as a physical object.
Humanity is in a global "accelerating culture change period", driven by the
expansion of international commerce, the mass media, and above all, the
human population explosion, among other factors
Cultures are internally affected by both forces encouraging change and
forces resisting change. These forces are related to both social structures
and natural events, and are involved in the perpetuation of cultural ideas

and practices within current structures, which themselves are subject to

change.
Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies, which may
also produceor inhibitsocial shifts and changes in cultural practices. War
or competition over resources may impact technological development or
social dynamics. Additionally, cultural ideas may transfer from one society to
another, through diffusion or acculturation. In diffusion, the form of
something (though not necessarily its meaning) moves from one culture to
another. For example, hamburgers, fast food in the United States, seemed
exotic when introduced into China. "Stimulus diffusion" (the sharing of ideas)
refers to an element of one culture leading to an invention or propagation in
another. "Direct Borrowing" on the other hand tends to refer to technological
or tangible diffusion from one culture to another. Diffusion of innovations
theory presents a research-based model of why and when individuals and
cultures adopt new ideas, practices, and products.

Acculturation has different meanings, but in this context it refers

to replacement of the traits of one culture with those of another, such as
what happened to certain Native American tribes and to many indigenous
peoples across the globe during the process of colonization. Related
processes on an individual level include assimilation (adoption of a different
culture by an individual) and transculturation.

Anthropology
Although anthropologists worldwide refer to Tylor's
definition of culture, in the 20th century "culture" emerged as the central
and unifying concept of American anthropology, where it most commonly
refers to the universal human capacity to classify and encode human
experiences symbolically, and to communicate symbolically encoded
experiences socially. American anthropology is organized into four fields,
each of which plays an important role in research on culture:
Biological anthropology,
Linguistic anthropology,
Cultural anthropology,
Archaeology.

Sociology
The sociology of culture concerns cultureusually understood as the
ensemble of symbolic codes used by a societyas manifested in society. For
Georg Simmel (1858-1918), culture referred to "the cultivation of individuals
through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the

course of history". Culture in the sociological field can be defined as the ways
of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together shape
a people's way of life. Culture can be any of two types, non-material culture
or material culture.
Cultural sociology first emerged in Weimar Germany (1918-1933), where
sociologists such as Alfred Weber used the term Kultursoziologie (cultural
sociology). Cultural sociology was then "reinvented" in the English-speaking
world as a product of the "cultural turn" of the 1960s, which ushered in
structuralist and postmodern approaches to social science. This type of
cultural sociology may loosely be regarded as an approach incorporating
cultural analysis and critical theory.
Cultural sociologists tend to reject scientific methods, instead
hermeneutically focusing on words, artifacts and symbols. "Culture" has
since become an important concept across many branches of sociology,
including resolutely scientific fields like social stratification and social
network analysis. As a result, there has been a recent influx of quantitative
sociologists to the field. Thus there is now a growing group of sociologists of
culture who are, confusingly, not cultural sociologists. These scholars reject
the abstracted postmodern aspects of cultural sociology, and instead look for
a theoretical backing in the more scientific vein of social psychology and
cognitive science.
"Cultural sociology" is one of the largest sections of the American
Sociological Association. The British establishment of cultural studies means
the latter is often taught as a loosely-distinct discipline in the UK.
Why Is Culture Significant?
Creates Identification
The culture and the values followed in a particular community
display its own unique identity. By practicing a set of rituals and traditions,
the community gains a unique character and personality, simply because of
the culture of the people belonging to it. Being shared amongst various
members of a community, the language, art, and religion serve as the major
symbols of culture, thereby distinguishing it from other cultures in the
society. Further, it is learned and passed on from the older generations to the
newer ones, thereby keeping the culture alive and fresh.
Bonds People
Culture is merely a bond or tie that keeps people belonging to a
particular region or community together. Thus, people following similar
rituals, customs, and values fall into one culture, thereby bonding them

together. These include the festivals they celebrate, the kind of clothing they
wear, the food they eat, most importantly, the cultural values they adhere to.
Establishes Principles
Culture is often viewed as an integrated system that controls the
society. As such, people coming from a particular culture exhibit
distinguished standards and behaviors. The cultural values that people
inhibit form the founding principles of an individuals life. Moreover, these
cultural values highly influence a persons principles and philosophies of life
and ones way of living. Thus, a culture is significant in affecting a human
beings social life.
Stand Apart In Foreign Countries
People who have seeped their cultural values and traditions in
their lives display them in foreign lands as well. In todays competitive world,
most people migrate from their homeland to other countries in the quest of a
better living. It is only due to their sustaining of the cultural values that they
stay connected with their family and community, in particular. Further, they
maintain their unique rituals and customs so that they do not mingle with the
foreigners and lose out their traditions back home.

Nature of culture

Civilization

Community

Ethnic group

People

Group lifestyle

Society

Elements of culture
Art and literature
vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative
endeavors and disciplines. The arts encompasses visual arts,
literary arts and the performing arts
the art of written works.

Customs and traditions

Way people act, wear, what they eat, and their laws.

Economic systems
The method used by a society to produce and distribute goods and services

Forms of government
The people or group(s) that control the people and provide/ enforce the
laws

Language
communication by word of mouth

Religion
a system of beliefs that answers questions about the meaning of life

Social Organization
the family patterns and social classes of a culture

Cultures of the world

Cultures by ethnicity or ethnic sphere

Western culture
o

Anglo America

Latin American culture

Anglosphere

African American culture

Indosphere

Sinosphere

Islamic culture

Arab culture

Tibetan culture

Cultures of continents and major geopolitical regions

Culture of Africa

Culture of Antarctica

Culture of Asia

Culture of Europe

Culture of North America

Culture of Oceania
o

Culture of Australia

Culture of South America

Cultures by political divisions of the World

Cultures of Africa

West Africa
o

Culture of Benin

Culture of Burkina Faso

Culture of Cape Verde

Culture of Ivory Coast

Culture of the Gambia

Culture of Ghana

Culture of Guinea

Culture of Guinea-Bissau

Culture of Liberia

Culture of Mali

Culture of Mauritania

Culture of Niger

Culture of Nigeria

Culture of Senegal

Culture of Sierra Leone

Culture of Togo

North Africa
o

Culture of Algeria

Culture of Egypt

Culture of Libya

Culture of Mauritania

Culture of Morocco

Culture of Sudan

Culture of Tunisia

Culture of Western Sahara

Central Africa
o

Culture of Angola

Culture of Burundi

Culture of Cameroon

Culture of the Central African Republic

Culture of Chad

Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Culture of Equatorial Guinea

Culture of Gabon

Culture of the Republic of the Congo

Culture of Rwanda

Culture of So Tom and Prncipe

East Africa
o

Culture of Burundi

Culture of Comoros

Culture of Djibouti

Culture of Eritrea

Culture of Ethiopia

Culture of Kenya

Culture of Madagascar

Culture of Malawi

Culture of Mauritius

Culture of Mozambique

Culture of Rwanda

Culture of Seychelles

Culture of Somalia

Culture of Tanzania

Culture of Uganda

Culture of Zambia

Culture of Zimbabwe

Southern Africa
o

Culture of Botswana

Culture of Lesotho

Culture of Namibia

Culture of South Africa

Culture of Swaziland

Dependencies in Africa
o

Culture of the British Indian Ocean Territory(UK)

Culture of Mayotte (France)

Culture of Runion (France)

Culture of Saint Helena (UK)

Culture of the Canary Islands (Spain)

Culture of Ceuta (Spain)

Culture of Madeira (Portugal)

Culture of Melilla (Spain)

Culture of Socotra (Yemen)

Culture of Puntland

Culture of Somaliland

Culture of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Culture of Antarctica

No political divisions, just some scattered outposts

Cultures of Asia
Main article: Culture of Asia

Central Asia
o

Culture of Kazakhstan

Culture of Kyrgyzstan

Culture of Tajikistan

Culture of Turkmenistan

Culture of Uzbekistan

East Asia
o

Culture of Tibet

Special Administrative regions of China

Culture of Hong Kong

Culture of Macau

Culture of Japan

Culture of North Korea

Culture of South Korea

Culture of Mongolia

Culture of Taiwan

North Asia
o

Culture of China

Culture of Russia

Southeast Asia
o

Culture of Brunei

Culture of Burma

Culture of Cambodia

Culture of East Timor

Culture of Indonesia

Culture of Laos

Culture of Malaysia

Culture of the Philippines

Culture of Singapore

Culture of Thailand

Culture of Vietnam

South Asia
o

Culture of Afghanistan

Culture of Bangladesh

Culture of Bhutan

Culture of India

Culture of Iran

Culture of Maldives

Culture of Nepal

Culture of Pakistan

Culture of Sri Lanka

West Asia
o

Culture of Armenia

Culture of Azerbaijan

Culture of Bahrain

Culture of Cyprus

Culture of Northern Cyprus

Culture of Georgia

Culture of Iraq

Culture of Israel

Culture of Jordan

Culture of Kuwait

Culture of Lebanon

Culture of Oman

Culture of Palestine

Culture of Qatar

Culture of Saudi Arabia

Culture of Syria

Culture of Turkey

Culture of the United Arab Emirates

Culture of Yemen

Culture of India
The culture of India is the way of life of the people of India.
India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs
differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture, often labeled
as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian
subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia
old. Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as Indian religions, yoga
and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world.
Indias cultureis among the world's oldest; civilization in India began about 4,500 years ago.
Many sources describe it as "Sa Prathama Sanskrati Vishvavara" the first and the supreme
culture in the world, according to the All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP) organization.
Indians made significant advances in architecture (Taj Mahal), mathematics
(the invention of zero) and medicine (Ayurveda). Today, India is a very
diverse country, with more than 1.2 billion people, according to the CIA World
Factbook, making it the second most populous nation after China. Different
regions have their own distinct cultures. Language, religion, food and the arts

are just some of the various aspects of Indian culture. Here is a brief
overview of the culture of India.

Language
India has 28 states and seven territories, according to the World
Health Organization. There is no official language in India, according to
a Gujarat High Court ruling in 2010. Many people living in India also write in
Devanagari script. In fact, it is a misconception that the majority of people in
India speak Hindi. Though many people speak Hindi in India, 59 percent of
India residents speak something other than Hindi, according to The Times of
India. Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu are some other languages
spoken in the country.

Religion
India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism,
the third and fourth largest religions. About 84 percent of the population
identifies as Hindu, according to the Handbook of Research on Development
and Religion Edited by Matthew Clarke (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013).
There are many variations of Hinduism, and four predominant sects
Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakteya and Smarta.
About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, making it one of the largest Islamic
nations in the world. Christians and Sikhs make up a small percentage of the
population, and there are even fewer Buddhists and Jains, according to the
Handbook.

Food
When the Moghul Empire invaded during the sixteenth century,
they left a significant mark on the Indian cuisine, according to Texas A&M
University. Indian cuisine is also influenced by many other countries. It is
known for its large assortment of dishes and its liberal use of herbs and
spices. Cooking styles vary from region to region.
Wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with chana (Bengal gram) are important
staples of the Indian diet. The food is rich with curries and spices, including
ginger, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, dried hot peppers, and cinnamon,
among others. Chutneys thick condiments and spreads made from
assorted fruits and vegetables such as tamarind and tomatoes and mint,
cilantro and other herbs are used generously in Indian cooking.

Many Hindus are vegetarians, but lamb and chicken are common in main
dishes for non-vegetarians. The Guardian reports that between 20 percent
and 40 percent of India's population is vegetarian.
Much of Indian food is eaten with fingers or bread used as utensils. There is a
wide array of breads served with meals, including naan, a leavened, ovenbaked flatbread, and bhatoora, a fried, fluffy flatbread common in North India
and eaten with chickpea curry.

Architecture and art

The most well-known example of Indian architecture is the Taj
Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. It combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and
Indian architectural styles. India also has many ancient temples.
India is well known for its film industry, which is often referred to as
Bollywood. The country's movie history began in 1896 when the Lumire
brothers demonstrated the art of cinema in Mumbai, according to the Golden
Globes. Today, the films are known for their elaborate singing and dancing.
Indian dance, music and theater traditions span back more than 2,000
years, according to Nilima Bhadbhade, author of Contract Law in India
(Kluwer Law International, 2010). The major classical dance traditions
Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and
Kathakali draw on themes from mythology and literature and have rigid
presentation rules.

Clothing
Indian clothing is closely identified with the colorful silk saris
worn by many of the countrys women. The traditional clothing for men is the
dhoti, an unstitched piece of cloth that is tied around the waist and legs. Men
also wear a kurta, a loose shirt that is worn about knee-length. For special
occasions, men wear a sherwani, which is a long coat that is buttoned up to
the collar and down to the knees. The Nehru jacket is a shorter version of a
sherwani.

Customs and celebrations

The country celebrates Republic Day (Jan. 26), Independence
Day (Aug. 15) and Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (Oct. 2). Diwali is the largest
and most important holiday to India, according to National Geographic. It is a
five-day festival known as the festival of lights because of the lights lit during

the celebration to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual
darkness. Holi, the festival of colors, also called the festival of love, is
popular in the spring.

Linguistic Affiliations.
There are four major language families, each with numerous
languages. Indo-Aryan, a branch of Indo-European, covers the northern half
of the country, and the Dravidian family covers the southern third. In the
middle regions a number of tribal languages of the Munda or Austroasiatic
family are spoken. In the northeastern hills, numerous Tibeto-Burman
languages are spoke

Types of Culture
North India
South India
North Indian culture
The term North Indian Culture officially describes the
cultural heritage of the seven North Indian states of Punjab, Jammu &
Kashmir, Chandigarh (Union Territory), Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh,
and Uttarakhand. Other states which are not formally part of North India, but
which are traditionally - culturally and linguistically - seen to be so are
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. North Indian Culture is mainly rooted in
Indo-Aryan traditions and customs, with assimilation of - and impact from other cultures over long periods of history. North Indian culture reflects the
diversity of traditions and customs of the vast region it encompasses.

Traditional clothing
North Indian women normally wear kameez shalwar or sari, but
in the states of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and northern
Haryana, traditional dress is Kameez Shalwar. In the states of Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and southern Haryana (region bordering Rajasthan), it is
Ghagra Choli. For men dhoti with kurta or shirt with dhoti, shalwar, or
payjama along with turban or pagdi form the common dress in rural areas.
Pagdi or Topi are headgear which show one's status and the respect in which
one is held. However western influence can easily be seen in urban as well
as rural areas nowadays.

Architecture and painting

The splendour and vastness of the architectural heritage of North
India can easily be demonstrated by the fact that out of twenty-three cultural
world heritage sites in India which have been declarerd by UNESCO, ten are
in North India.[3] The Taj Mahal, a perfect blend of Muslim and Indian
architecture, is one of the new seven wonders of world. The Mahabodhi
Temple complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar built by Emperor Ashoka in 260 BC,
marks the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautam Buddha.Khajuraho temple
and Buddhist monuments of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh finds itself in list of
world heritage sites. Other renowned architectural and holy sites are Sri
Harmandir Sahib ("The Golden Temple") in Amritsar, Punjab, Urban and
Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh, Dilwara Temples of Mount
Abu, Rajasthan to name only a few. A different genre of paintings evolved in
North India specially the Miniature paintings. Rajput Painting a style of Indian
painting that evolved and flourished during the 18th century, in the royal
courts of Rajputana. Rajput paintings depict a number of themes, events of
epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Krishna's life, beautiful
landscapes, and humans.

Sculpture and art

One of the best known examples of North Indian sculpture is the
Lion capital of Ashoka, Sarnath. It is the source for the national emblem of
India and hints at the richness and grandeur of the ancient Mauryan empire.
The Rampurva Bull capital is one of the best specimens of animal sculpture.
Two different schools of art namely the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art
evolved which represented the developments in sculptures, stucco and clay
as well as in mural paintings. The Kushana kings, particularly Kanishaka,
encouraged the Gandhara artists to sculpture themes from Buddhas life and
the Jatakas. The distinctive school of art which grew here is called the
Gandhara school of art. A large number of the images of the Buddha and the
Bodhisattavas were produced. Mathura art, however, reached its peak during
the Gupta period (AD 325 to 600). The human figure reached its most
sublime representation in the Gupta classical phase when divine images,
conceived and rendered in human shape, attained a superhuman aspect and
manifested great spiritual import. The sculptures were marked by sharp and
beautiful features, graceful and slim bodies, with many folds of transparent
drapery and a new style of coiffure.

Literature
North India was the birthplace of Kalidasa, who wrote classic
Sanskrit plays like Mlavikgnimitram, Abhijnakuntalam and

Vikramrvayam and poems like Raghuvaa, Kumrasambhava,

tusahra and Meghadta in which the use of imagination and similes
remains unequaled by any other literary work. Apart from these Sanskrit
dramas, Pini's Ashtadhyayi standardized Sanskrit grammar and phonetics
and left an indelible mark on these aspects of Sanskrit. Panini was a
grammarian from approximately 5th century BC, his Ashtadhyayi is looked
upon as a masterpiece and as a study in brevity and completeness.
Medieval North India had great literary scholars like Tulsidas, Surdas, Chand
Bardai, Amir Khusro whose works Ramcharitmanas, Sur Sagar, Prithiviraj
Raso and Khamsa-e-Nizami respectively contributed to the richness of
literature. From 19th century onwards Khadiboli became the general Hindu
language; Khadiboli with heavily Sanskritized vocabulary or Sahityik Hindi
(Literary Hindi) was popularized by the writings of Swami Dayananda
Saraswati, Bhartendu Harishchandra and others. Other important writers of
this period are Munshi Premchand, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Maithili Sharan
Gupt, R N Tripathi and Gopala Sharan Sinha. Premchand's works, such as
Godaan and Gaban have been translated into various languages, and are
known for their subtlety and depiction of human psychology and emotions.

Dance
The rich cultural diversity of North India is most clearly shown by
the many different folk dance styles found here. Starting with Bhangra
(mens dance) and Giddha (womens dance) from Punjab to Kathak; from
Ghoomar and Kalbeliya dance from Rajasthan to Kinnauri Nati from Himachal
Pradesh; Karma from Jharkhand to Panthi from Chhattisgarh; from Jagars and
Pandva Nritya from Uttarakhand to Rouf of Kashmir celebrates the richness of
culture and traditions of North India. Kathak is one of the eight classical
dance forms as conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi. This dance form traces
its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks,
or storytellers. Some believe it evolved from Lord Krishna's raas lilas, forms
of which have also evolved into the popular Garba-style dances popular in
other parts of region and Gujarat. It was quintessential theatre, using
instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the
stories.

Art and crafts of north Indians

South Indian culture
South Indian culture refers to the culture of the South Indian
states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.
South Indian culture though with its visible differences forms an important

part of the Indian culture. The South Indian Culture is essentially the
celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of
the body and motherhood. It is exemplified through its dance, clothing, and
sculptures.

Traditional clothing
South Indian women traditionally wear the sari while the men
wear a type of sarong, which could be either a white dhoti or a colourful
lungi with typical batik patterns. The sari, being an unstitched drape,
enhances the shape of the wearer while only partially covering the midriff. In
Indian philosophy, the navel of the Supreme Being is considered as the
source of life and creativity.[1][2][3][5] Hence by tradition, the stomach and the
navel is to be left unconcealed, though the philosophy behind the costume
has largely been forgotten.[1][2][3][4][5] This makes the realization of shariramandala, where in Angikam bhuvanam yasya (the body is your world) unites
with the shaarira-mandala (the whole universe), as expressed in the
Natyashastra. These principles of the sari, also hold for other forms of
drapes, like the lungi or mundu or panchey (a white lungi with colourful silk
borders in kannada), worn by men.[6] The lungi is draped over clockwise or
counterclockwise and is tied at the back or fixed just along the waist line. It's
sometimes lifted to the knee and tied at the waist leisurely or just held in
hand to speed up walking.
Traditionally, South Indian men do not cover their upper body. Sometimes, in
a formal situation, a piece of cloth may cover the upper body. Certain
temples in South India even ban men from wearing upper-body garments
when inside the temple. In Andhra and parts of north Karnataka men wear
kachche panchey where it is tied at back by taking it between legs. A similar
pattern is seen in women. All over the peninsular coastal region men wear
coloured lungis and women wear saris in a manner of tying them at the back.

Dance
The South Indian culture is celebrated in the elaborate dance
forms of South India - Koodiyattam, Bharatanatyam, Oyilattam, Karakattam,
Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Theyyam, Bhuta Kola, Ottamthullal, Oppana, Kerala
Natanam, Mohiniaattam and Yakshagana. The Bharatanatyam is the
celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of
the body. This is done through its tenets of having a perfectly erect posture,
a straight and pout curving stomach, a well rounded and proportionate body

mass- to the body structure, very long hair and curvaceous hipsThese tenets
bring to life the philosophy of Natyashastra, Angikam bhuvanam yasya (The
body is your world). This is elaborated in the araimandi posture, wherein the
performer assumes a half sitting position with the knees turned sideways,
with a very erect posture. In this fundamental posture of the Bharatanatyam
dance, the distance between the head and the navel becomes equal to that
between the earth and the navel. In a similar way the distance between the
outstretched right arm to the outstretched left arm becomes equal to the
distance between the head and the feet, thus representing the
"Natyapurusha", the embodiment of life and creation.

Architecture and paintings

South India boasts of having two enchanting styles of rock
architecture, the pure dravida style of Tamil Nadu and the Vesara style (also
called Karnata dravida style) present in Karnataka. The inspirational temple
sculptures of Mahabalipuram, Tanjore, Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole,
Belur, Halebidu, Lakkundi, Shravanabelagola, Madurai and the mural
paintings of Travancore and Lepakshi temples, also stand as a testament to
South Indian culture. The paintings of Raja Ravi Varma are considered classic
renditions of many themes of South Indian life and mythology. There are
several examples of Kerala Mural paintings in the Mattancherry Palace and
the Shiva kshetram at Ettamanoor. South India is home, as of April 2006, to 5
of the 26 World Heritage listed sites in India

Sculptures and figurine

Sculptures became one of the finest medium of South Indian
expression after the human form of dance. In this medium it was possible to
etch the three-dimensional form in time. The traditional South Indian sculptor
starts his sculpture of the divinities from the navel which is always
represented unclothed by the sari. A koshta or grid of the sculpture would
show the navel to be right at the centre of the sculpture, representing the
source of the union of the finite body and the infinite universe. Sculptures
adorn many of the temples around the complexes and also inside them. They
are also depiction of dance steps of various stylizations and have served to
preserve dance forms and revive it.

Literature and philosophy

South India has a literary tradition reaching back over two
thousand years. The first known literature of South India are the poetic
Sangams, which were written in Tamil around two to one and a half thousand
years ago. The Kannada classic Kavirajamarga, written in 850 CE by King

Amoghavarsha I, makes references to Kannada literature of King Durvinita in

early sixth century CE. Tamil Buddhist commentators of the tenth century CE,
Nemrinatham makes references to Kannada literature of fourth century CE
Distinct Malayalam and Telugu literary traditions developed in the following
centuries. The artistic expressions of the South Indian people shows their
admiration of the magnificence of nature and its rhythms. Some of the works
include Silappadhikaram by Ilango Adigal, Tholkappiam written by
Tholkappiar, Thiruvalluvars Thirukural and Kumaravyasa's Karnata Bharata
Katamanjari and Pampa's Vikramarjuna Vijaya and Shiva Sharana's
like"'Basavanna's'' andAKKA MAHADEVI's "VACHANA'S". In South Indian
literature and philosophy, women are considered very powerful. A married
woman is regarded as auspicious, her shakti or mother-feminine power,
protects and empowers her husband and their children. Contemporary
Kannada writers have received eight Jnanapith awards which is the highest
for any Indian language.

Communities and traditions

The main spiritual traditions of South India include both Shaivite
and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism, although Buddhist and Jain
philosophies had been influential several centuries earlier. Shravanabelagola
in Karnataka is a popular pilgrimage center for Jains. Ayyavazhi is spread
significantly across South India. Its followers are more densely populated in
South Tamil Nadu and Kerala.[31] Christianity has flourished in coastal South
India from the times of St. Thomas the Apostle who came to Kerala in 52 AD
and established the Syrian Christian tradition today called as Saint Thomas
Christians or Nasranis. There is a large Muslim community in South India,
particularly in the Malabar Coast, which can trace its roots to the ancient
maritime trade between Kerala and Omanis and other Arabs. Kerala is also
home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world who are supposed
to have arrived in the Malabar coast during the time of King Solomon. The
oldest surviving Jewish synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations is the
Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, Kerala.

Tamil culture
Tamil culture is the culture of the Tamil people. Tamil culture is rooted
in the arts and ways of life of Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore
and across the globe. Tamil culture is expressed in language, literature,
music, dance, theatre, folk arts, martial arts, painting, sculpture,
architecture, sports, media, comedy, cuisine, costumes, celebrations,
philosophy, religions, traditions, rituals, organizations, science, and
technology.

Religion
The Tamils are nature lovers and their relation to the religion is
based on the nature. Currently, 88% of the population in Tamil Nadu are
Hindu that is Saivam, Vainavam, 6% are Christians, 5.57% are Muslims and
the rest consists of different religions including Buddhists. This could largely
be attributed to several cultural diffusion between India and other countries
through trade,colonization and increasing improvement in technology.
Murugan, Lord Muruga is the supreme deity of the Tamil Culture. He is
usually referred to as the Tamil god because it is said that when Lord Muruga
was young he had an argument over a fruit with his brother Lord Ganesh and
he got very angry when his father Lord Shiva said that Ganesh should have it
and he moved out of Kailash to find his own group of people, the Tamils and
decided to make Tamil Nadu his residence. The Tamils worship him as their
main God. The original Six Abodes of Lord Muruga are currently located in
Tamil Nadu, India.

Sculpture
Tamil sculpture ranges from elegant stone sculptures in temples,
to bronze icons with exquisite details. The medieval Chola bronzes are
considered to be one of India's greatest contributions to the world art. Unlike
most Western art, the material in Tamil sculpture does not influence the form
taken by the sculpture; instead, the artist imposes his/her vision of the form
on the material. As a result, one often sees in stone sculptures flowing forms
that are usually reserved for metal. As with painting, these sculptures show a
fine eye for detail; great care is taken in sculpting the minute details of
jewellery, worn by the subjects of the sculpture. The lines tend to be smooth
and flowing, and many pieces skillfully capture movement. The cave
sculptures at Mamallapuram are a particularly fine example of the technique,
as are the bronzes of the Chola period. A particularly popular motif in the
bronzes was the depiction of Shiva as Nataraja, in a dance posture with one
leg upraised and a fiery circular halo surrounding his body.