Indian culture is several millenniums old, resembling an ancient tree with many roots and branches united by a common trunk. These branches manifest as art, literature, science, medicine, religion, governance, martial arts, and various schools of thought (groups of thinkers or spiritual seekers sharing similar ideas about life and the world).
Many of India's cultural roots trace back to the Indus, Harappan, or Sindhu-Sarasvatī civilisation, shaping the unique personality of 'India, that is Bharat'.
The word Veda comes from the Sanskrit root vid, meaning 'knowledge'. There are four Vedas, which are among the most ancient texts in the world:
The Vedas consist of thousands of hymns (prayers in the form of poems and songs) composed in the Sapta Sindhava region. They were transmitted orally with rigorous training across generations. In 2008, UNESCO recognised Vedic chanting as 'a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity'.
The hymns were composed by rishis (male seers) and rishikas (female seers) in an early form of Sanskrit. They addressed deities like Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Mitra, Sarasvatī, and Uṣhas, who sustained ṛitam (truth and order in the cosmos). The early seers viewed these deities as manifestations of a single supreme reality: "ekam sat viprā bahudhā vadanti" (The Existent is one, but sages give it many names).
Early Vedic society was organised into larger groups of people called janas (clans). The Ṛig Veda lists over 30 janas, including the Bharatas, Purus, Kurus, Yadus, and Turvaśhas. Society was governed with the help of collective assemblies called sabhā and samiti, led by a rājā (king or ruler). Various professions existed, including agriculturists, weavers, potters, builders, carpenters, healers, dancers, barbers, and priests.
Vedic culture developed rituals (yajña) directed towards deities. Over time, a group of texts called the Upaniṣhads built upon these concepts, introducing:
These concepts fostered a worldview of interconnectedness, as expressed in the prayer "sarve bhavantu sukhinah" ("May all creatures be happy"). Another major school, Yoga, developed methods to achieve the realisation of brahman in one's consciousness.
Emerging in the 1st millennium BCE, Buddhism did not accept the authority of the Vedas. It was founded by Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince born in Lumbini around 560 BCE. After witnessing an old man, a sick man, a dead body, and a peaceful ascetic, he renounced palace life at age 29. He attained enlightenment under a pipal tree at Bodh Gaya, becoming the 'Buddha' (the enlightened one).
Core Teachings:
Another major school of thought, Jainism, was popularised by Prince Vardhamāna, who became known as Mahāvīra ('great hero'). Born in the early 6th century BCE near Vaiśhālī, he left home at age 30, practiced rigorous asceticism for 12 years, and attained supreme wisdom. The word 'Jain' comes from jina, meaning 'conqueror' (conqueror of ignorance and attachments).
Core Teachings:
A wide diversity of belief systems coexisted. For example, the Chārvāka (or Lokāyata) school was a materialist philosophy that believed only the physical world exists and rejected the concept of life after death.
India's cultural heritage is also deeply rooted in rich oral, folk, and tribal traditions. A tribe (janjāti in Hindi, historically referred to as different janas) is a close-knit community sharing common descent, culture, language, and holding no private property.
Mutual Interaction and Enrichment: