Shudras are caste groups with no varna designation. These outcasts were
traditionally regarded as ?untouchables? because they were known to have
unclean jobs like scavenging and leatherworking. These groups have always
been exposed to prejudice. Mahandas K. Gandhi tried to make sure that
they were treated right, and gave them the name Harijan, which means
Children of God (Srinivasan 52; Compton?s n.p.). ?The Indian constitution
outlaws untouchability and requires that a ?schedule? of such groups be
prepared in every state as an aid to provide them with special benefits, to
help them overcome their disadvantaged position? (Compton?s n.p.).
India has 15 national languages recognized by the constitution, which
are spoken in over 1,600 different dialects. The 15 national languages are
Hindi, English, Assumes, Bangle, Gujrati, Canned, Cashmere, Conking,
Sanskrit, Snide, Tamale, Malayalam, Martha, Ore, and Tillage (Netscape
n.p.). Hindi is the main language spoken by 20%. Assumes is the state
language of Assam and is spoken by 60% of the sate and originated in the
13th century. Bengali is the state language of West Bengal and originated
in the 13th century. Gujarati is the state language of Gujarat and is spoken
by 70% of the state. It originated from an Indic language. Kannada is the
state language of Karnataka and is spoken by 65% of the state. Ashmiri is
the state language of Jammu and Kahmir. It is spoken by 55% of the state.
Konkani is the state language of Goa and parts of the coastal Karnataka,
Kerala and Maharshtra. Malayalam is the state language of Kerala and is
thousands of years old. Marathi is the state language of the western part
of Maharashtra and originated in the 13th century. Oriya is the state
language of Orissa and is spoken by 87% of the state. Sankrit is one of the
oldest languages in the world and is the language of classical India. Sindi is
spoken in many parts of India in the devnagri script. Tamil is the state
language of Tamil Nadu and is spoken by 65 million people. It is over 2000
years old. English is the official working language of India and Telugu is
spoken by the people in Andhra Pradesh (Netscape n.p.; Kaleidoscope 2).
The Indian family is headed by a senior male. The senior female
assigns chores to the women and girls. The family would include the man?s
unmarried daughters, his younger brothers, their wives and their
unmarried children. It also would include his unmarried sisters, his married
sons and grandsons, and their wives and unmarried children. This type of
family system is known as an extended family. The sons of the man would
separate and form new a household after the death of their father. In
most parts of India, girls marry outside their village, usually while they are
still in their teens. She would then move into her husband?s household.
Couples in India want male children because of their contributions to the
family income. Sons are also needed to perform certain rites at a parent?s
cremation. Girls are seen as liability because of their expensive dowries
when they are married. Often families go into debt to provide dowries for
their daughters (Compton?s n.p.)
India is the birth place of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
Its constitution guarantees religious freedom to all groups. Hinduism
makes up 83% of the population. Hinduism originated From the Aryans who
came to India more than 4,000 years ago. It is not just a religion but a way
of life for the people of India. 11% of India is Islam which is a religion
that was introduced to India in the 7th century by Arab traders.
Christians and Sikhs each make up about 2% of the population. Sikhism was
founded by Guru Nanak in the 15 century. Christianity was brought to
India by St. Tomas not long after Christ?s lifetime. Jains and Buddhists
are less than 1%. A man named Mahavira propagated Jainism in the sixth
century before Christ. At about the same time, Buddism came to India (A
& C.H. 52; Kaleidoscope 3).
A major cultural event in India are the festivals. Most of them have
religious character to them. Some are celebrated by only certain castes,
clans, or tribes. Some of the bigger celebrations can last between seven and
ten days. A few of the more notable festivals are Pongal, Janmashtami,
Onam, Diwali, Dussehra and Durga Puja. A Pongal is a three day harvest
festival and one of the most joyful events in the south. Janmashtami is the
anniversary of Lord Krishna. Night long prayers are offered and religious
hymns are sung in the temples. Onam is Kerala?s most popular festival,
primarily a harvest festival with a snake boat race held in the palm fringe
lagoon. Diwali is a festival of lights. It comes 21 days after Dussehra and
celebrates the return of Rama to Ayodhya after his 14 year banishment.
Dussehra and Durga Puja are some of the most popular of all festivals, they
symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Every region celebrates this 10 day
festival in their own special way (Art & C.H. 50; Srinivasan 107).