The thousands of distinctive and individual cultures of all the religions and communities that call India home are collectively referred to as India’s culture. India has a diverse range of languages, religions, dances, music, architectural styles, foods, and customs. The history of the Indian subcontinent, which dates back several millennia, has shaped the culture that is frequently referred to as a synthesis of multiple cultures. The world is greatly impacted by many aspects of India’s many cultures, including Indian philosophy, cuisine, and religions.
The core tenets of Indian religions are dharma and karma. These include Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, together with their various branches.
For millennia, religions with Indian roots have faced persecution. In addition to burning temples and monasteries and murdering Hindus and Buddhists, Muslim monarchs also forced these groups to convert, even on the battlefield. During the Muslim era, the majority of North India’s magnificent temples were destroyed. As a result, the population of the Indian subcontinent fell from 200 to 125 million between the years 1000 and 1500 AD. India is home to several foreign-originated religions, including Abrahamic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Over the centuries, Zoroastrianism and the Bahá’í Faith, which were persecuted by Islam, have also sought refuge in India.
India is one of the most populous countries in the world, with 29 states that represent diverse cultures and civilizations. The history of the Indian subcontinent, which dates back several millennia, has shaped and impacted the culture, which is frequently described as a synthesis of multiple distinct cultures. Indian culture has been greatly impacted by Dharmic religions throughout its history. Many aspects of Indian philosophy, literature, art, music, and architecture have been attributed to them.
The historical reach of Indian culture outside of the Indian subcontinent was known as Greater India. This is especially about how early Common Era migrants and maritime traders used the Silk Road to transport Buddhism, Hinduism, writing systems, architecture, and government from India to other regions of Asia. In the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains to the west, Greater India and Greater Persia collide. The cultures of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, and other Indian tribal groups have significantly blended together over the ages.
Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and other religions all originated in India. All of them are referred to as Indian faiths. A significant subset of world religions, alongside Abrahamic ones, are Indian faiths. Presently, Buddhism and Hinduism rank third and fourth in the world respectively, with about 2 billion adherents combined—and maybe as many as 2.5 or 2.6 billion. About 80–82% of Indians identify as followers of one of the Indian religions: Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainsm, or Hinduism.
India is home to some of the world’s most intensely religious societies and cultures, making it one of the world’s most ethnically and religiously diverse countries. Many people’s lives are centered and determined by their religion. India is a secular nation with a Hindu majority, but it also boasts a sizable Muslim community. Hindus make up the majority of the population in all 29 states and 7 union territories, with the exception of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Lakshadweep. There are Muslims all over India, although the greatest population is found in Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep. There are also sizable Muslim populations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal, and Assam. Two more notable minorities in India are the Sikh and Christian communities.
