Indian Culture In America

Source:-(google.com.pk)
Indian Culture In America Biography
In 1965, the United States Congress liberalized laws that severely restricted Asian immigration.  The Immigration Reform Act of 1965 was framed as an amendment to the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act, under which a quota system giving preference to skilled laborers and relatives of US citizens was articulated . This legislative action made a tremendous change. While there were only a few thousand Asian-Indians living in the United States in the 1960’s, by the mid 1980s, over 300,000 Asian Indians had emigrated from India.
These foreigners, termed “new immigrants,” distinguishing them from the “old immigrants” of European descent, were highly educated, skilled professionals, and came predominantly from the urban middle class.  Given the immigrants’ status within their country, what motivated them to leave?
In the case of Asian Indians, an overwhelming majority responded to financial factors.  However, “such a generalization does not do justice to the complexities of the issue.” Although Asian-Indians did leave for financial reasons, they also left for professional, educational, and social opportunities.  For many Asian Indians, emigration was thought prestigious.
Financially, a professional working in the United States could make more than double their annual income in India.  The conversion of capital from dollar to rupees combined with the desire to support family members in India financially made emigration attractive.  Professionally, bureaucratic rules, bribes, and unfavorable working conditions hindered largely sought after career advancement. Moreover, Asian-Indians have placed a great emphasis on foreign education.  The colonial authority of the British Raj engrained in the Indian mentality that foreign education is better than indigenous training.
Ethnicity, Culture, & Family
In his 1782 article, “What Is an American?,” Frenchman J.Hector St. John Crevecoeur wrote, “He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds.” Since 1782, the definitions of Americans have drastically changed.  Although the post 1965 Indian-American has adhered to the new government, they have simultaneously transplanted their cultural and religious heritage, and have integrated them into their distinct bicultural lifestyle.  Because Indian-Americans face aspects of both American and Indian culture in day-to-day life, Indian-American culture is notably compartmentalized in its current form.
 The Indian-American identity is divided into three compartments: the Pan-Indian Compartment, the Non-Indian Compartment, and the Local-Community Compartment.  Each division serves a unique business, social, cultural, and political role within the United States.  Conflicts in Indian-American life are a largely a result of these compartments.
First-Generation Indian-Americans (“New Immigrants”)
First generation Indian-Americans are acutely aware of readily apparent cultural differences.  The family becomes a battlefield where modernity clashes with tradition, where Indian culture clashes with American culture, and where theory clashes with practice.  American culture becomes the basis for interactions outside the home.  Inside the home, first-generation Indian-Americans attempt to preserve their cultural and religious heritage and expect to live according to Indian cultural values.  For example, women are expected to maintain the household (cooking, cleaning, childrearing, etc) in addition to holding part-time or even full-time job economically mandated by them in the United States.  However, the hierarchies of age and gender patterns based on traditional Indian values are broken along the lines of compromise.
Second-Generation Indian-Americans
For scond-generation Indian Americans, “the sensation of being the in-betweens is particularly accentuated.”  Like their parents, the second-generation Indian American also compartmentalizes his/her life.  At home and within the local community component they are governed by the compromised Indian lifestyle developed by their parents and the broader community.  Conflicts typically arise from the cultural clash of American Individualism vs. Indian communitarianism.  For example, a second-generation Indian-American’s desire to pursue an undergraduate degree in the fine arts will not be supported by the family.  Career decisions are based on their impact on the family’s financial well being, not the individual’s.
Third Generation Indian-Americans
Thus far, research on Indian-Americans has been limited to the first and second generation because data regarding the third is unavailable.  There are several directions the third generation might go.
The first scenario rests on the observation that traditional languages are being lost.  A majority of second-generation Indian-Americans are illiterate when it comes to the native language that comprises their local-community component.  Although they are able to speak the language, they are unable to write or read it.  The linguistic divisions that differentiate sub-communities will slowly disappear.  A result of this development will be pan-Indian marriages that will blur the distinction between the pan-Indian compartment and the local community compartment.  The local-community compartment will lose its business, social, cultural and political forces by becoming integrated into its similar pan-Indian compartment component.
In the second scenario, the key observation is that there are a growing number of local community groups within the Indian-American subculture.  These groups cater to the local community compartment of the Indian-American identity.  The Gujarati Cultural Association of Bay Area in California has a membership of over three thousand families. Given its numbers it is unlikely that this organization will lose its collective force.  Marriage my happen within the local community and participants will remain members. This depends, to a large degree, on the second-generation Indian-Americans and the culture they bestow upon their children.
Concluding Remarks
The relaxation of immigration laws in 1965 paved the way for Indian-Americans to immigrate to the United States.  Attempting to preserve their religious and cultural heritage, these first-generation Indian Americans erected temples and formed local organizations representative of the subcultures (Sindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali) from which they came.  Parents exposed their children to those subcultures through functions hosted by these organizations and within the home.  The second-generation Indian-American assumed the culture of both their parents and the larger American culture that surrounds them.  The compartments that arise from the cultural clash force the second-generation to pick one culture over the other giving rise to a distinct set of bicultural Indian-American values that will be passed to the third generation.  The value system and culture of the second generation is still unclear.  Determining the value system that of the third generation is mere speculation

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Indian Culture In America

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Source:-(google.com.pk)
Western Influence On Indian Culture Biography
The word CULTURE has been derived from a French word CULTURA which means to cultivate, to till, to grow. Therefore culture is a process of growth through the means of education, discipline, training etc..
Western and Indian cultures are diametrically opposed. The reason for this is that western culture is based on the principles of MATERIALISM, whereas Indian culture is based on the tenets and principles of SPIRITUALISM. Materialism stands for worldly possessions, wealth, canons of economics, material gains etc., whereas spiritualism stands for moral values, ethics, scruples, virtues and the power to distinguish between right and wrong, between good and evil, between correct and incorrect etc.
It is essential to have material possessions in this world. It is a source of sustenance. It is a must to have economic advancement and liberalisation alongwith globalisation. Scientific advancement is another sphere where India as a country needs to develop. Technological development is essential for India today. With the advent of cable TV and the Internet, urban India is very well connected with the rest of the world and is abreast with the latest hap
The modern Indian art traces its roots to colonial era when western influences were highly felt when Indian artists started to draw inspiration, styles and techniques from western schools established during this time. Indian artists also internalized the western artistic designs and successfully used them to portray Indian social themes. Indian art is today composed of many western elements as well as transformation of the traditional Indian art to resemble that of the western world. The influence of western culture in Indian art was once felt during the colonial era and has continued to be felt all through to the 21st century (Meecham and Sheldon 83). Dallapiccola points out that a greater part of this influence has been indirect where Indian artists have adopted and developed artistic styles of American artists to demonstrate and establish Indian social and cultural themes (4). After independence of India from the British rule, many schools provided access to new and sophisticated western artistic techniques a step that was too inviting for western artists and their styles.
 Through the interpretation of Indian culture and ideas, the American artists developed art works especially Gandhara sculptures and paintings that didn’t represent any value to the western culture but was only used to pass the western artistic designs to the Indian artistic works. Influence of Indian art by the western culture has occurred at different levels but prevalently, the cultural level though recently such influences have been extended to social and religious levels (Kumar 121). This influence has been necessitated by the fact that India has a combination of many races, religious movements, languages as well as varied cultural practices and as such has a wide variety of art works, paintings, architectural designs and other traditional arts. The presence of different religious.The creation, performance, significance and even the definition of music vary according to culture and context. Music can be divided into genres and subgenres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to individual interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within the arts, music may be classified as a performing art, a fine art, and auditory art. To many people in many cultures music is an important part of their way of life. By all accounts there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what music might be.
Music in India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, and classical music. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and, developed over several eras, it remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression and pure entertainment. India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects, having very distinct cultural traditions.
However, over the past few decades, there has been a significant influence of various western forms in India owing to globalization and increase in the use of developed technologies. This research is an attempt to observe this influence over traditional Indian Music and to study whether it has hampered or has added value to Indian music.

Western Influence on Modern Indian Theatre
Western Influence on Modern Indian theatre has had tremendous effect on the theatre culture among the people
 Western theatre narratives had a profound influence on modern Indian theatre. In the traditions of Euro-American, modernity is both a teleological principle of historical organization that separates the ancient and, medieval from the post-Renaissance world, and also a name for qualities that distinguish objects from one another within a given historical period. More specifically, literary modernity signifies a deliberate disengagement from past and present conventions in favour of verbal, formal, intellectual, and philosophical attributes that are new for their time, whatever the time. Horace, Dryden, George Eliot and Sylvia Plath are all moderns in this sense, as are the late seventeenth century proponents of libertinism in England, or the late twentieth century practitioners of minimalism in the United States.
However, in Indian literary history, the issue of modernity remains inseparable from that of the transformation of Indian cultural forms by Western influences under the inherently unequal conditions of colonial rule. The conventional historical argument is that Indian literary modernity was a consequence of the dissemination of the European literary canon on the subcontinent, the institutionalization of English literary studies in the mid-nineteenth century, the formation of modern print culture in the course of the nineteenth century, and the large-scale assimilation of modern Western literary forms novelistic and short fiction in the realist mode, historical drama, nationalist epic, romantic and confessional lyric, essay, discursive and critical prose, and biography and autobiography, among others. Concurrently, the influence of Western dramatic texts, conventions of representation, and forms of commercial organization displaced indigenous traditions of performance and established theatre as a modern, urban, commercial institution for the first time in the mid-nineteenth century. Given the ideological underpinnings of such a position, the `colonial` origin of Indian literary and cultural modernity has emerged as a key issue in the debates of the post-independence period, since colonialism is seen as destroying the very `essential` and `authentic` civilizational qualities that the orientalists had constructed in the nineteenth century. The resulting polemic, however, treats the culture of print very differently from that of performance.

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Western Influence On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Source:-(google.com.pk)
Speech On Indian Culture Biography
Culture is a symbolic, continuous, cumulative and progressive process. In the words of Green, culture means "the socially transmitted system of idealized ways of knowledge, practice and beliefs along with the artifacts that knowledge and practices produce and maintain as they change times."
Culture is the short-hand version of the rules that guide the way of life of people. It is the common learned way of life shared by members of a society. In a word, culture is the expression of finer aspects of the life style of a group. As Johann Von Herder says, "the culture of a people is the blood of its being."
In the famous words of Arnold J.Toynbee, "civilization is a movement - not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour." This is true especially in the context of India. Though one of the oldest of ancient civilizations, India is the only example of a continuous process of the growth and evolution of its ancient civilization. In a word, Indian civilization is a continuum and, therefore, unique. As such, the culture of India has always been integral in its approach. '
It has never been one-sided. One of the greatest scholars on the culture of India, Basham has this to say on the subject,".... in no other part of the ancient world were the relations of man and man, and of man and the state, so fair and humane. In no other early civilization were slaves so few in number, and in no other ancient lawbook are their rights so well protected as in the Arthasastra. India was a cheerful land, whose people, each finding a niche in a complex and slowly evolving social system, reached a higher level of kindliness and gentleness in their mutual relationships than any other nation of antiquity."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’.
It is the way we behave, react to certain things, the way we perceive and interpret our values and beliefs. In its varied manifestations it forms the basic principles, ethics, workings and behavior.
To define culture and limit it to these words would be an understatement. Its like trying to control tornado and limit it to a corner. It’s a system of emancipation which continues to absorb within itself and pass on the society, all that is activated by different races and religions, who come in close proximity with each other, giving it a new flavour and colouring it in a spectrum of new colours, over period of time.
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.
Our country has been a huge melting pot of various beliefs and behaviours which make up the different cultures that came to India. It is a composite culture due to the multiple influences which have contributed to the creation of values and ethics. The projection of our culture has definitely taken a nosedive but something which has lasted, grown and emancipated over centuries cannot easily be wiped out or disintegrated. It grows may be differently with time. It takes generations to give a definite shape and keeps on adding to itself. Its always dynamic, something vibrating and acceptable to changes.
Civilisation relating to India goes back to several millenniums and the earliest one on record is the Indus Valley Civilisation, Hinduism owes it origins to Vedas and the Hindu Culture laid reverence for these holy scriptures scripted in the sacred language of Sanskrit. It basically had some salient points which were a belief in God in some form, emphasis on rituals, which were believed to unite them in spiritual kinship, belief in the Guru-Shishya tradition of learning, a demarcated caste system based on the work allotted.
Besides the Hindu religion we have the Jains who have claimed their religion to be most ancient of all, even to Aryan Hinduism and presented scholarly support to the existence of Jainism in the Indus Valley.
Buddhism, is another religion in our country which is based on the teachings of Gautam Buddha. It is also one of the great religions of the world. Scholars have avoided the world religion for Buddhism and prefer to call it a system of morality or ethics.
Islam was brought to India by the invaders and even as they set up their rule in the country, they indulged in propagation and forceful conversion. It is today a religion with one of the largest followings in the world.
The earliest of recorded and prominent invasion was that of Alexander. The major effect of this invasion was that his march produced a land route from Europe to India with the result that Greek and Indian civilizations came in close contact in fluencing each other to a great extent.
Later we have had the influences of Christianity brought into India by the French, the Portugese and to a major extent by the Britishers who ruled for nearly two centuries. Further to this we have had a sprinkling of Jews and a good chunk of Parsis seeking refuge in our country.
In the cauldron of this composite mixture of various religions and cultures evolved the Hindustani culture in Northern Indian and the Dravidian culture of the South. The Bhakti movement in the Middle Ages in India were an all-india socio-religious movement. Ramanuj, Nanak, Ramanand and Kabir, Namdeva, Tukaram and Ramdas, Jaidev and Chaitanya denounced the caste system and brought about socio-religious reforms in the Hindus society.
The Nawabi culture of Central India and mainly Lucknow brought a different artistic style to the prevalent customs of royalty which filtered down to the middle class. This was famously known as ‘Tehzib’.

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Speech On Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Source:-(google.com.pk)
Dating In Indian Culture Biography
Dating, Marriage, & Childrearing Customs India India’s National Anthem "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)
Dating patterns in India are changing a little. It use to always be that your parents would arrange dates for you. You would meet and talk with them for what could be just a couple of times, and then get married. While there are still arranged marriages, nowadays parents are giving into their children’s more contemporary style of dating – but slowly. People of Indian upbringing can be set in the traditional ways of their ancestors. Indian teens will go out with a group of friends, which will include both males and females, and let the group help them get to know someone over time of whom they might take a liking to. **It is very different from the normality's of dating in the U.S. Here it is very common for a boy to pick up a girl at her house and then go on a date. But in India that would not happen. Dating Patterns & Contemporary Dating
Single men cannot take part in any kind of religious or marriage events because it is unholy or unlucky. The single life is easier for men than women. In many cases, if a women is not married, others assume that there is something wrong with her; she’s difficult to get along with, or she can’t compromise. They have continuing problems financially, little social support from family or friends, vast barriers in dating and remarriage, and experience loneliness as a result. As for how many people in India are single? I couldn’t find any statistical information. But, I would think that the number is on the rise due to the younger generations waiting to find “love marriages” instead of arranged, and more couples are cohabiting. Single Life
In March, 2010 by a three judge court (Chief Justice K.G.Balakrishnan,Deepak Verma and B.S.Chauhan) ruled cohabitation legal. “When two adult people want to live together, what is the offence. Does it amount to an offence ? Living together is not an offence, it cannot be an offence. Living together is a fundamental right under Article 21, Constitution of India”. Traditionally in India, cohabitation had been taboo (forbidden by custom). As for rural areas, cohabitation is still unpopular due to their close-to-heart conservative values, but this is not the case it big cities where cohabitation is becoming more commonplace each day. Cohabitation
Indian law guaranteed consent of sex to people 15 and up. In India, more than a quarter of young adults have premarital sex. Boy’s average 1st sexual experience age -17.4 Girl’s average 1st sexual experience age -18.2. People with strong religious beliefs or people in rural areas with strong traditional views are not too fond of pre-marital sex. Some are not even comfortable with lip lock until a long relationship occurs, much less sex. You’ll find later on in the ppt. that it is not customary for an Indian bride and groom to kiss on their wedding day! I guess really acceptance in India of pre-marital sex is just a personal thing. Some accept it and some don’t. But as far as the legal aspect, it’s legal after 15. Pre-Marital Sex
Up until 2009, when Delhi High Court ordered decriminalization of gay sex, India had laws against homosexual sexual relationships. Any homosexual relationship could be deemed a crime punishable up to 10 years in prison. Homosexual marriages are still illegal in India. So many gays in India go to nearby Nepal where gay marriage has been legalized. There are about 2.5 million gays in India. But a common response about homosexuality in many communities of India is “We don’t have any”. While many people in this country either ignore or tolerate it, they still think of same-sex relationships as unlawful. Some homosexuals have received extreme hatred and death threats by their family who fear of being shamed. Homosexual Rights & Treatment
I couldn’t find much information on this but I am guessing that the man asks the woman to marry him given it is such a traditional country. The engagement ceremony is usually at the bride’s home or a banquet hall. This is where both the families meet for the first formal party. A formal ring ceremony is done to solemnize the couples engagement. Then they are introduced to each others families. Engagement Customs
A meal is prepared for all family and guests attending. This means a lot of food because a small engagement party can consist of 400 people (some of whom may not even know the bride or groom). ** One exception. During engagement parties for south Indian families, the bride and groom do not have to be present. It is more or less a commitment between the families. Also, if any gifts from guests are given to the couple, most ask for “no boxed gifts” which means they want only money. ** Note that in Indian culture when you are giving money/checks as gifts, give an odd number ($31, $63, $101) for good luck! Engagement Customs
“While the average age at marriage in India has been rising slowly over the past twenty years, the practice of child marriage is still widespread and young girls suffer most as a result of it”. According to Unicef’s Age at Marriage in India 2001 census, Average Female age: 18.3 **In Rajasthan, India 41% of girls between 15 and 19 are married. Average Males age: 23.7 You got married when?
Most weddings in India take place during October-February because the weather is much nicer. December and January are the busiest. Many people choose to get married at a luxury hotel, the beaches of Goa, or palaces of Rajasthanor. Families either plan it their selves or get a wedding planner. Many get a wedding planner to ease the stress. Wedding Plans
Pre- Wedding Practices& Events
This is an important pre-wedding ritual. Both families of the couple meet to celebrate elaborately through song, dance, and partying all night. The Sa
h​t​t​p​:​/​/​w​w​w​.​f​l​i​c​k​r​.​c​o​m​/​p​h​o​t​o​s​/​1​5​7​4​0​3​5​9​@​N​0​6​/​3​0​6​2​6​5​7​8​1​9​/​i​n​/​p​h​o​t​o​s​t​r​e​a​m Song by Aisha. One style of music played during the Sangeet. Give it a listen, it’s not too bad!
Henna Artwork Henna staining is still practiced by Indian brides to be. On the eve of her wedding vows, following a traditional ceremonial cleansing, the bride-to-be will have her hands and feet painted with henna, in beautiful paisley or medallion patterns.
h​t​t​p​:​/​/​w​w​w​.​h​e​n​n​a​p​a​g​e​.​c​o​m​/​h​e​n​n​a​/​h​o​w​/​g​i​l​d​i​n​g​/​l​i​t​t​l​e​f​e​e​t​2​.​j​p​g It's safe and painless because it does not require the skin to be pierced. It's completely natural and non-toxic. The leaves, flowers, and twigs of the henna plant are ground into a fine powder, then mixed with hot water. This paste is traced in a design on the desired body part
h​t​t​p​:​/​/​4​.​b​p​.​b​l​o​g​s​p​o​t​.​c​o​m​/​_​j​o​S​H​_​o​K​O​w​J​Q​/​S​w​T​4​s​G​i​5​r​v​I​/​A​A​A​A​A​A​A​A​D​C​4​/​D​8​x​s​y​A​k​s​0​O​8​/​s​1​6​0​0​/​a​1​.​j​p​g A mixture of lemon juice and sugar is put onto the drying artwork to "set it" and really show off its lustrous texture. The dried paste is taken off, leaving behind a stain or temporary tattoo. It's fun, beautiful, and as simple or complicated as you want it to be. It can last from a couple of days to a month.

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Dating In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Source:-(google.com.pk)
Food In Indian Culture Biography
History of Indian Food has been a major part of Indian society which describes the evolution of Indian food habits in different ages.
 History of Indian Food has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many descents. Indian food is greatly influenced by a 4000 year old history of several cultures interrelating with the country, leading to a vast assortment of flavours. This reflects not only huge variety of people who inhabit in India, but also the external influence of various cultures that migrated to the country and continued to exist in the form of cuisine and delicacies of various communities. Along with this, history of Indian food also depicts the evolution of Indian food in different stages, which can be largely divided into food in ancient India, medieval India and contemporary India. Overall the popularity of various food items in India specifically describes India’s notion of unity in diversity.
Ancient History of Indian Food
History of Indian food can be traced back to the prehistoric days when the culture of preparing food with proper preparation was introduced by the two earliest civilization of Indus valley Civilization. The Harappa and Mohenjodaro Civilisation for the first time introduced the science of cultivation that included a number of cereals and pulses. These were stored in large granaries which reflected the organised structure of administration in securing and distributing food items for every one throughout the year. Slowly and steadily Ancient Civilisation in India moved closer towards perfection. This was mainly marked during the Vedic period which defined better forms of cuisines with new developed recipes. While the Indian society is predominantly agrarian, it cultivated large varieties of pulses, grains and vegetables that were complemented by hunting and forest produces. In Vedic times, a normal diet of an Indian consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey. It also included beverages along with special kind of spices that was used by the Vedic people.
History of food in Ancient India was greatly influenced with the Harappan and Mohenjodaro Civilization. The Aryans who travelled from Central Asia introduced a number of food items which complemented the then existing Vedic culture. Along with this food in ancient India also include food in Maurya Empire which was extensively discussed by Kautilya in Arthashastra. Kautilya lays down certain specifications regarding the structure of kitchen, the food items to be cooked and the purity to be maintained while cooking. Food in Ancient India further faced huge changes during the Gupta Empire which was greatly influenced by Buddhism and Jainism. During this period consumption of meat was condemned as they considered some animals as sacred and considered food to be a part of religion. Though intake of sheep, goat and chicken was still prevalent, but under the influence of religion most of the people were vegetarian. Overall the food in ancient India greatly contributed to the development of mind, body and spirit which reflected the growing changes within Indian food habits.
Medieval History of Indian Food
Food habits in Medieval India underwent changes with the advent of invaders from Central Asia. The Muslims introduced the most popular Mughal cuisine which forms a major part of Indian menu even today. Along with this, they brought different kinds of dry fruits and flat breads among the Indians. The Mughals were great patrons of cuisine. Lavish dishes were prepared during the rule of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The Nizams of Hyderabad state, meanwhile, developed and mastered their own style of cooking with the most notable dish being the Biryani, often considered by many enthusiasts to be the finest of main dishes in India. Next to this, the Portuguese introduced Indian Vindaloo dish and others. This was followed by the Chinese influence on Indian food that travelled along with the mongoloid race from Central Asia. Along with this food in medieval India was also influenced by the British and Anglo-Indian cuisine. This continued in modern days as well. The British introduced Western style of food in India which was gracefully accepted by the Indians along with their traditional past. The history of Indian food manifests before us that during the reign of the British Empire in India (the British Raj), the home cuisine was considered by the Europeans closely to what Gods taught of ambrosia: a delightful, heavenly and delicate dish.
Contemporary History of Indian Food
History of Indian Food in Modern India mainly carried the traditional trends of Indian cuisines including the traditional Hindu vegetarian food as well as Mughal delicacies of Medieval India along with Chinese and other foreign delicacies. As such in the way of highlighting unity in diversity India in modern days enjoy all kinds of delicacies. The trend of globalization has also revolutionized the food junction as well. Italian cuisines like pasta, pizzas, macaroni, Indianized version of Chinese, Mexican, and Thai etc is no more a far flung conceit, but within the physical and financial reach of middle class even.
Thus, the history of food Indian food has been an assimilation of all cultures that inhabit in India.
Indian Regional Cuisines
The intriguing style of different cooking style contributes to the diversity of the Indian regional cuisines.
 India is a country with different states that have been demarcated according to language, culture, tradition and most importantly geography. These factors influenced the cuisine of the Country too, besides religion and foreign invasions. Intrinsic culinary traditions are thus being restructured by the ever changing political and socio-economic landscape. Though, such contradictions, the basics of an Indian meal are similar. Indian Regional Cuisines reflect miscellaneous taste.
With a 3000 year old religious heritage, India is a home to many religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahai religions. All these faiths demonstrated on the choice of food. Vegetarianism and non vegetarianism also originated from these beliefs. This dictated in the choice of culinary in the sates of India and thus became the Indian Regional Cuisines. The Jains are restricted from eating garlic or any kind of living thing. Besides, Jainism other religious beliefs do not abstain from eating meat. However, different religions have different restrictions on the type of meat. Such as Hindus, Parsis, and Sikhs abstain from eating bee and Muslims regard eating of pork going against their religious belief.
Indian Regional Cuisines is thus myriad, different religions and culture intermingles and produces the taste of India. Apart from the religious beliefs, foreign invasions have also played a vital role in deciding the culinary of a particular state. The Punjab was situated in Pakistan. Though, the Punjabis have their own distinct cuisine, as with any other Indian state and region, yet much of their cuisine has been influenced by the refugees who fled to India. It is here in Punjab products like milk and ghee, parathas stuffed with radishes and pomegranate seeds, mustard greens, corn bread, complete the richness of dishes. Kashmir on the other hand is a Muslim dominated state. It is, therefore, a region reflects Mughal influence. Various Muslim dishes are enjoyed in the region which involves meat and cream dishes.
Gujarati Cuisine is another example of miscellany. Among the Indian Regional Cuisines, Gujarati cuisine refers primarily vegetarian cuisine. This region is solely influenced by the religious faiths of Hinduism and Jainism. The authentic Gujarati Thali includes Roti, daal or kadhi, rice, and sabzi or shaak, which is a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices. Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavor and heat and is the example of variations. Orissa cuisine is presented with affluent usage of spices and local ingredients. According to history, in the 17th and 18th Century, during the Bengal Renaissance, Oriya cooks were influenced by the cooking style of West Bengal.

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture

Food In Indian Culture