5 Tips To Understand Indian Culture When Visiting for a Holiday

India is an amazing country and is the home to one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. People in the US and Europe have long been fascinated by the country and its rich culture. Thus, it is of no surprise that thousands of tourists from the US and European countries visit India every year.

For most tourists, the main motive behind travelling to India is to understand its rich culture and heritage. As India is a family-friendly destination, many tourists like travelling to India with their families. India tour can be a learning experience for children as they can understand and learn a lot about the culture, history and religion of the country.

Here are 5 tips that will help you in better understanding the culture of India:

Respect

A few of the westerners who visit India make the mistake of judging Indians and their culture. This is something which you should not do and instead, you should show your respect to the people and their way of life. Regardless of whatever you come across in the country, respect it and also keep in mind that there is a reason behind every practice. For example, people in India eat with their hands and they do not use toilet papers to wash themselves. Such practices, which might be unheard of the in the west, are very common in India. The tourists are not forced to follow these practices but they are expected to respect them.

Secularism

India is the 2nd most populous country in the world and people of all religion, faiths and nationality live in the country. Most Indians are secular by nature and the country also has a secular constitution. In fact, Secularism is one of the pillars of the culture in India which is evident from the fact that there are many places in India where we can find places of worship belonging to various religions, situated not too far away from each other. Also, people frequently visit the religious places of other religions. For example, Dargas, Temples and Churches are visited by most people in the country, regardless of their faiths.

Religion

In India, culture and religion and often synonymous. Even those who do not believe in God, respect religion and most of the tourist places in the country are related to religion. Four of the major Eastern (Dharmic) religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism have originated in India. Also, Hence, when you travel to India, respect the religious beliefs of people even if you cannot understand or identify with their beliefs.

Traditions

The traditions in India are often indigenous to different parts of the country and some traditions are also followed by people all over the country. Traditions play a very important role in Indian culture and you cannot ignore them. For example, in India most Hindus and Muslims alike touch the feet of their elders, especially their parents, as a sigh of respect when they greet them. When you travel to India, try to learn the traditions, the significance behind them and how they came into practice.

Food

Last but not the least, in order to understand Indian culture, you also need to understand the food habits of the people in India. Eating is regarded as an act of worship by Indians and they take a lot of effort in cooking their food. The recipes are passed from one generation to the other and they are highly revered. When you travel to India, try to experience the food of each and every place you go to.