Diversity In India

The Indian sub-continent is a favourite place to travel to for many people and there are several reasons behind this; from culture and food to dance form and art. One thing that many tourists do not know is the diversity in the land - more than you can imagine!! You could visit one partiuclar state and the culture, tradition, food and language could be entirely different from other states.

In this post, I'm going to talk about a few aspects that most tourists do not know.

#1 Language - There are many people who speak English and lots of them who are multilingual.

Hindi and English are recognized as the official languages of India. We are one of the countries where English is given more importance than the regional language or Mother tongue. Parents prefer an English medium school to a regional language when it comes to their child's education.
Hence, it's no surprise if you can hear an Indian speak English really well.
Besides almost every state has got it's own language with 22 of them being recognized by the government. With people moving to other states for their higher education and job, you will find lots of people who are multilingual.

#2 Clothing - Traditional clothes aren't worn by most men.

Salwar kameez and saree are traditional clothes worn by women. People across the country have got their own ways of styling it. You'll see people wearing western clothes too. While for men it is common to wear shirts & trousers, this is the traditional wear called the vasti, mostly prevalent in the southern regions.

#3 Appearance - People vary greatly in their skin tone; from light to dark skin.

It is common for people to associate Indians with brown skin. While this is true in many cases, reality is that people of this country vary greatly in their skin tone; from light skinned people to dark skinned people. As a result of various settlements in India, there is a variety of skin tones among the people.
Would you believe if I told you that they are Indians?

Yes, they are! People living in the North Eastern part of India share similar features as the Mongolians such especially their eyes, hair and height as well. At times it's difficult for Inidians themselves to tell them apart but it would be offensive to consider them as non-Inidans.

#4 Food - Pork isn't very common in India.
It is quite known that Inidian food is spicy. While over 20% of the population is vegetarian, the others eat non-vegetarian foods with the most common ones being chicken, mutton, and fish.
Although some people eat pork, it is not common to see it on menus nor is it cooked at home very often. Pigs are considered dirty animals and thus unhealthy.

These are some reasons why visiting just one place cannot give you an a clear idea of the whole picture. But you should see for yourself and it'll astonish you!

Jai Hind!