CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 1

COURSE CODE : PCR0025

COURSE TITLE : CRITICAL THINKING

TOPIC : CULTURE

GROUP : FT03

GROUP NAME : TENACIOUS SYNERGY

LIST OF GROUP

MEMBERS : 1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

LECTURE NAME: PN.NOR HASRINA BINTI

MOHAMAD@SULAIMAN

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 2

Contents

Definition of culture

Religions and spirituality

Family structure and marriage

Greetings

Festivals

Cuisine

Clothing

Languages

Performing arts

o Dance

o Drama and theatre

o Music

Visual arts

Martial arts

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 3

DEFINITION OF CULTURE

Culture is the idea, value and beliefs of a particular civilization at a particular

period. It is more than anything else, ‘A State of Mind’. Culture is the idea, value

and beliefs of a particular civilization at a particular period. It is more than

anything else, ‘A State of Mind’. Culture is the mixture of several things like

fashion, music, artistry, behaviour, social norms, architecture and even food and

dress sense. A living, vibrating and dynamic activity which engulfs the whole of

living, in a certain period of time. This is what makes up the whole panorama of

our social fabric filtering down from the upper strata to the basic roots, to the

common man on the street. The Indian Culture as we know it today is an

assimilation of several social behaviours. India has been a huge melting pot of

various beliefs and behaviours which make up the different cultures.

RELIGIONS IN INDIA

India known as the land of spirituality and philosophy, was the birthplace of some

religions, which even exist today in the world.The most dominant religion in India

today is Hinduism. About 80% of Indians are Hindus. Hinduism is a colorful

religion with a vast gallery of Gods and Goddesses. Hinduism is one of the

ancient religions in the world. It is supposed to have developed about 5000 years

ago. Later on in ancient period other religions developed in India.Hinduism,

Buddhism and Jainism, are seen as the molders of the India philosophy. In

'modern' period new religions were also established in India.One comparatively

new religion in India is Sikhism and it was established in the 15th century. About

2% of Indians are Sikhs. Along with the religions that developed in India, there are

followers of non- Indian religions. The largest non-Indian religion is Islam. They

are about 12% of India's population. Christians are more then 2% of India's

population. There are also Zoroastrians who even though make less then 0.01%

of India's population, are known around India. There are also a few thousand

Jews in India. Judaism and Christianity might have arrived in India before they

arrived in Europe.

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 4

FESTIVALS IN INDIA

A festival is a celebration of life. Festivals bring peace and joy to the masses.

They break the monotony of life. Indian festivals are numerous. They are of three

types- national, religious and seasonal.

The national festivals include Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanit.

The religious festivals of India include Guru Parav, Holi, Lohir, Buddhapurnima,

Mahavir Jayanit, Dussehra, Diwali, Janmastami, Chath, Navaratri, Eid, Christmas,

the festivals of the Parsees and Jews etc. The seasonal festivals include Bhi,

Baisakhi, Onam, Pongal, Basant Panchanmi .Indian festivals are numerous. They

are harmonious, rich, varied and colorful.Indian festivals are varied as the people

themselves.

Diwali is the most prominent of Hindu festivals. It is the festival of lights. The

Hindus celebrate this day to commemorate the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya

after the victory over Ravana. it is the victory of good over evil. The houses are

cleaned and whitewashed. The people wear new clothes. On this day, people from

all walks of life light up their homes. Crackers are burst and the children as well

as the youth enjoy them.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season. This festival marks the

beginning of spring. 'Raaslila' a cultural dance of Manipur is staged during this

festival. The dance is dedicated to Lord Krishna and the gopis. Holi a festival of

colors. People throw color on one another. It is celebrated in honor of Prahlad. It

celebrates the victory of good over evil. Color is an essential part of Holi. But it

must not be sprayed on people who do not want to play it. The bursting of

crackers should be stopped. Festivals should be celebrated with simplicity.

People belonging to other communities should be invited during religious

festivals. This will help in promoting national integration and communal harmony.

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 5

Family structure and marriage

Indian Arranged Marriage

Tamil marriages are not very showy and extravagant as Tamilians believe in

simple living. Tamil people are very particular about their customs and traditions.

However, Tamil weddings are attended by distant relatives and friends and hence

are held on a large scale. There are many wedding rituals which are observed by

them, without which the marriage is deemed incomplete. The important Tamil

wedding rituals are given below.

Pre Wedding Rituals

The wedding rituals begin with Panda Kaal Muhurtham. After this, the groom is

welcomed with the traditional aarti. Next is Vratham, which is a small puja

organized before marriage.The next ritual is Naandi, in which Brahmins are given

gifts and sweets. Nicchiyadharatham is the formal engagement ceremony,

wherein the bride and the groom exchange rings.

Wedding Rituals

On the day of the wedding, Mangala Snaanam takes place, as per which the bride

and the groom take purifying bath.Then the exchange of garlands takes place

between the bride and the groom. After this, Muhurtum ritual takes place wherein

the groom ties mangalsutra and puts vermillion to the bride. Subsequently, they

take seven rounds and seven vows around the sacred fire called Saptapadi.

Post Wedding Rituals

After the wedding, both the families exchange gifts with each other. This is called

Sammandhi Mariyathai. After all the wedding ceremonies are over, the bride

leaves with her husband for her marital home.

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 6

GREETINGS

Namaskar/Namaskaram) is a common spoken valediction or salutation

originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a customary greeting when

individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A non-contact form of

salutation is traditionally preferred in India and Namaste is the most common

form of such a salutation.

When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow

made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards,

in front of the chest. This gesture, called Añjali Mudrā or Pranamasana, can also

be performed wordlessly and carries the same meaning.

MEANING

As it is most commonly used, namaste is roughly equivalent to "greetings" or

"good day," in English, implicitly with the connotation "to be well". As opposed to

shaking hands, kissing or embracing each other in other cultures, Namaste is a

non-contact form of respectful greeting and can be used universally while

meeting a person of different gender, age or social status.

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 7

CLOTHING IN INDIA

Clothing in India varies from region to region depending on the ethnicity,

geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of that region.

Historically, men and women's clothing has evolved from simple Langotas and

loincloths to cover the body to elaborate costumes not only used in daily wear

but also on festive occasions as well as rituals and dance performances. In urban

areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all strata.

India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colors and material of

clothing. Color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual

concerned. For instance, Hindus wear white clothes to indicate mourning while

Parsis and Christians wear white to weddings.

WOMEN’S TRADITIONAL CLOTHING

Sari

Ghagra Choli (lehenga choli)

Salwar Kameez

Churidaar Kurta

Pattu Pavadai or Langa davani

Mundum Neriyathum

MEN’S TRADITIONA3.1.1 Dhoti

Lungi

Sherwani

Headgear

Dastar

Pheta

Mysore Peta

Rajasthani pagari

Gandhi cap

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 8

LANGUAGES

The languages of India belong to several language families, the major ones being

the Indo-Aryan languages (spoken by 74% of Indians) and the Dravidian

languages (spoken by 24% of Indians). Other languages spoken in India belong to

the Austro-Asiatic, Tibeto-Burman, and a few minor language families and

isolates.

Assamese/Axomiya

Bengali

Bodo

Dogri

Gujarati

Hindi

Kannada

Kashmiri

Konkani

Maithili

Malayalam

Manipuri (alsoMeitei or Meithei)

Marathi

Nepali

Oriya

Punjabi

Sanskrit

Santhali

Sindhi

Tamil

Telugu

Urdu

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 9

PERFORMING ARTS

DANCE

Dance in India covers a wide range of dance and dance theatre forms, from the

ancient classical or temple dance to folk and modern styles.

♦ Classical Indian Dance

1. Bharatanatyam - Tamil Classical Dance.

2. Odissi - Orissa Classical Dance.

3. Kuchipudi - Telugu Classical Dance.

4. Manipuri - Manipur Classical Dance.

5. Mohiniaattam - Kerala Classical Dance.

6. Sattriya - Asamese Classical Dance.

7. Kathakali - Malayalam Classical Dance.

8. Kathak - North Indian Classical Dance.

9.Devarattam

♦ Indian Folk Dance

1. Kummi

2.Poikal Kudirai Attam

3.Kamandi

4.Kaman Pandigai

5.Kolattam

6.Mayil Attam (Peacock dance)

7.Theru Koothu

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 10

DRAMA AND THEATRE

Indian drama and theatre has a long history alongside its music and dance.

Kalidasa's plays like Shakuntala and Meghadoota are some of the older dramas,

following those of Bhasa. One of the oldest surviving theatre traditions of the

world is the 2,000 year old Kutiyattam of Kerala.

MUSIC

Indian musical instruments can be broadly classified into four categories, mainly

classical, western and folk.

Baja (Harmonium)

Bansuri (Flute)

Chimta (Tong)

Dhol (Bhangara Drum)

Dholak (folk Drum)

Dilruba (Bowed)

Manjira

Nadaswaram

Nagaswaram

Sitar

Tabla

Tanpura (Tambura, Tamboora)

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 11

VISUAL ARTS

Indian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the

3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western

tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its

refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is given unusually

free expression in Indian culture. A strong sense of design is also characteristic

of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms.

EXAMPLE OF VISUAL ARTS:

1. Jewelry

2. Temple and Sculpture-art

3. Bronze Sculpture

4. Indian fresco

5. Miniature painting

6. Folk and tribal art

7. Art in the British period

8. Contemporary art

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT(2012)

TS Page 12

MARTIAL ARTS

Martial arts is a part of India’s ancient culture and a traditional games.Originally a

traditional form of martial art that started in South India, and now it has different

names and different forms in the culture of the regions in India. Khusti The Indian

Wrestling is also a part of Indian Martial arts found throughout the India. Indian

martial arts has an important influence in the development of modern Asian

martial arts. Nowadays a sense of self-defense and for fitness lots of people are

opting for martial arts.As in other respects of Indian culture, Indian martial arts

can be roughly divided into northern and southern styles.

EXAMPLE OF MARTIAL ARTS:

Kalarippayattu

Silambam

Gatka

Musti yuddha

Thang Ta

Lathi

Mardani Khel

Pari-khanda