Introduction:
India, also known as Bharat, is a constitutional republic consisting of 28 states and has the second highest population in the world after China.
India boasts of a rich cultural heritage and is a land of multiple languages and multiple religions.
India is considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the entire world.
Rich History:
The Indian subcontinent was an outcome of the rich Indus Valley and Harappan civilizations. The Gupta dynasty ruled India after the Mauryan Empire’s reign. It was known as the golden age of India because of resurgence in intelligence and spreading of culture and tradition to other countries.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Other empires ruled India after the Guptas till finally the Mughals took reign in the 16th century. The Mughal architecture exists even till today and form part of the rich cultural heritage of our country. The Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb etc. are beautiful architectural marvels left by the Mughals.
Cultural Heritage:
India’s culture is said to be an amalgamation of a number of cultures and traditions. Different elements of the diversified culture of India like yoga, Indian cuisine, religions etc. have made significant impact across the world. The religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism took birth in India. Many religious festivals are celebrated by the people of India like Diwali, Navratri, Maha Shivratri, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Rathayatra, Holi, Dussehra and Rakshabandhan.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Some of these festivals are celebrated by multiple religions too. India has 22 official languages and over a thousand dialects. Indian dance includes eight classical forms of dance which are bharatnatyam, kathak, kathakali, odissi, mohiniattam, kuchipudi, Manipuri, sattriya and yakshagana.
Land Of Scenic Beauty:
India is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north, the Deccan plateau in the south and the Indo-gangetic plain between the two. India is a land of many rivers which have divided themselves to empty into the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. The rivers have tributaries flowing from them. Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, etc. are some of the rivers flowing in the country. There are other beautiful places in India like the backwaters in Kerala, the lakes of Bhopal, the ice-clad mountains in the Hindukush etc.
National Integration:
National integration is a sentiment of the people of our country. The people have a mutual feeling of living together with sympathy and cooperation for each other and working for the welfare of the country by forgetting the difference of religion, race, caste, creed etc. National integration or national unity expresses itself through the feeling of commonness, oneness, identity, nationalism, loyalty towards the nation. The citizens of the nation become conscious of national integrity and unity when the feeling of brotherhood and cooperation is manifested in the sense of mutual oneness.
Conclusion:
India despite being a developing country is rich in many aspects. It is a beautiful place to live in and also a wonderful tourist destination. India is also the biggest developing economy in the whole world with the largest democracy. India ranks amongst the biggest countries in the world when it comes to nuclear power, military, sports, trades etc. Thus, east or west, India is the best.