118-472: Mahati It is also written as Mahathi is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music) created by M. Balamuralikrishna . It is a four notes scale (tetratonic scale) and does not belongs to one melakartha raga, It is classified in to 14th Vakulabharanam , 28th Harikāmbhōji and 34th melakarta rāgam Vagadhishvari in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. There
236-729: A raga . The features and rules of the raga (also known as the sanchaaraas of a raga) include how each note of the raga should be stressed, the scale of the raga, and so on. All varnams consist of lyrics, as well as swara passages, including a pallavi , an anupallavi , muktayi swaras , a charanam , and chittaswaras . Known for their complex structure, varnams are a fundamental form in Carnatic music. Varnams are practised as vocal exercises in multiple speeds by performers of Carnatic music, to help develop voice culture, and maintain proper pitch and control of rhythm. In Carnatic music concerts, varnams are often performed by musicians as
354-421: A 1966 study, Orenstein and Micklin analysed India's population data and family structure. Their studies suggest that Indian household sizes had remained similar over the 1911 to 1951 period. Thereafter, with urbanisation and economic development, India has witnessed a break up of traditional joint family into more nuclear-like families. Sinha, in his book, after summarising the numerous sociological studies done on
472-504: A Hindu wedding vary depending on the region of India, local adaptations, family resources and preferences of the bride and the groom. Nevertheless, there are a few key rituals common in Hindu weddings – Kanyadaan , Panigrahana , and Saptapadi ; these are respectively, gifting away of daughter by the father, voluntarily holding hand near the fire to signify impending union, and taking seven circles before firing with each circle including
590-459: A box. For me it still carries the taste of strangeness and confusion and wonder. According to Sanjeev Kapoor , a member of Singapore Airlines ' International Culinary Panel, Indian food has long been an expression of world cuisine. Kapoor claims, "if you looked back in India's history and study the food that our ancestors ate, you will notice how much attention was paid to the planning and cooking of
708-406: A bride could control throughout her life. Historically, in most families the inheritance of family estates passed down the male line. Since 1956, Indian laws treat males and females as equal in matters of inheritance without a legal will. Indians are increasingly using a legal will for inheritance and property succession, with about 20 percent using a legal will by 2004. In India, the divorce rate
826-719: A central and definitive role in the lives of many of its people. Although India is a secular Hindu-majority country, it has a large Muslim population. Except for Jammu and Kashmir , Punjab , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Mizoram and Lakshadweep , Hindus form the predominant population in all 28 states and 8 union territories. Muslims are present throughout India, with large populations in Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Maharashtra , Kerala , Telangana , Andhra Pradesh , West Bengal and Assam ; while only Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep have majority Muslim populations. Christians are other significant minorities of India. Because of
944-802: A common festivals in India. For example, Pushkar Fair of Rajasthan is one of the world's largest markets of cattle and livestock. The women lift & carry other women at many festivals. Indian greetings are based on Añjali Mudrā , including Pranāma and Puja . Greetings include Namaste (Hindi,Sanskrit and Kannada) , Nômôskar in Odia , Khulumkha ( Tripuri ), Namaskar ( Marathi ), Namaskara (Kannada and Sanskrit), Paranaam ( Bhojpuri ), Namaskaram ( Telugu , Malayalam ), Vanakkam ( Tamil ), Nômôshkar ( Bengali ), Nomoskar ( Assamese ), Aadab ( Urdu ), and Sat Shri Akal ( Punjabi ). All these are commonly spoken greetings or salutations when people meet and are forms of farewell when they depart. Namaskar
1062-511: A fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of beats. Tala s have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely change within a song. They have specific components, which in combinations can give rise to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different compositions to have different rhythms. Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving their hands up and down in specified patterns, and using their fingers simultaneously to keep time. Tala
1180-404: A hint of the song to be performed. Theoretically, this ought to be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing, comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana. Niraval, usually performed by the more advanced performers, consists of singing one or two lines of text of
1298-635: A long time in Sri Lanka, Carnatic music was associated with Indian immigrants, and was often derogatorily referred to as " thosai kade music" ("music from the dosa shop"), in reference to the South Indians-owned restaurants and eateries that typically played this kind of music. From the 20th century, Carnatic music gained significant popularity among certain social strata of the Sri Lankan population , who were then heavily influenced by
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#17327980125221416-410: A meal. Great thought was given to the texture and taste of each dish." One such historical record is Mānasollāsa , ( Sanskrit : मानसोल्लास , The Delight of Mind), written in the 12th century. The book describes the need to change cuisine and food with seasons, various methods of cooking, the best blend of flavours, the feel of various foods, planning and style of dining amongst other things. India
1534-410: A principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin ), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam ), and a tambura , which acts as a drone throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances may include the ghatam , kanjira , morsing , venu flute, veena , and chitraveena . The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is to be found in
1652-591: A prominent cultural movement known as the Hindu revival. Carnatic music was thus appropriated and highly promoted during the 1920s and 1930s as a cultural and identity marker of the Colombo and Jaffna bourgeoisies, and by extension of the Sri Lankan Tamils . The place given to Carnatic music in the construction of a modern Sri Lankan Tamil identity has reached significant proportions, such as its rise in
1770-497: A set of mutual vows. Mangalsutra necklace of bond a Hindu groom ties with three knots around the bride's neck in a marriage ceremony. The practice is integral to a marriage ceremony as prescribed in Manusmriti , the traditional law governing Hindu marriage. After the seventh circle and vows of Saptapadi , the couple is legally husband and wife. Sikhs get married through a ceremony called Anand Karaj . The couple walks around
1888-481: A significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian , many Indian dishes also include meats like chicken , mutton , beef (both cow and buffalo), pork and fish, egg and other seafood. Fish-based cuisines are common in eastern states of India, particularly West Bengal and the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu . Despite this diversity, some unifying threads emerge. Varied uses of spices are an integral part of certain food preparations and are used to enhance
2006-485: A song repeatedly, but with a series of melodic improvised elaborations. Although niraval consists of extempore melodic variations, generally, the original patterns of duration are maintained; each word in the lines of text stay set within their original place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. The lines are then also played at different levels of speed which can include double speed, triple speed, quadruple speed and even sextuple speed. The improvised elaborations are made with
2124-438: A system called the melakarta , which groups them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There are seventy-two melakarta ragas , thirty six of whose madhyama ( subdominant ) is shuddha ( perfect fourth from the tonic), the remaining thirty-six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an augmented fourth from the tonic). The ragas are grouped into sets of six, called chakras ("wheels", though actually segments in
2242-405: A total of 108 tala s. Improvisation in raga is the soul of Indian classical music – an essential aspect. " Manodharma Sangeetam " or " kalpana Sangeetam " ("music of imagination") as it is known in Carnatic music, embraces several varieties of improvisation. The main traditional forms of improvisation in Carnatic music consist of the following: An alapana, sometimes also called ragam,
2360-590: A type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of a note, rather than a defined frequency. Svara s also refer to the solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of seven notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the Hindustani sargam : sa- re -ga-ma-pa- dha -ni or Western do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). These names are abbreviations of the longer names shadja , rishabha , gandhara , madhyama , panchama , dhaivata and nishada . Unlike other music systems, every member of
2478-406: A variety of festivals due to the large diversity of India. Many religious festivals like Diwali (Hindu) Eid (Muslim) Christmas (Christian), etc. are celebrated by all. The government also provides facilities for the celebration of all religious festivals with equality and grants road bookings, security, etc. providing equality to the diverse religions and their festivals. The Indian New Year festival
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#17327980125222596-542: A verse at the end of the charana , called the madhyamakāla . It is sung immediately after the charana , but at double speed. There are many composers in Carnatic music. Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) is referred to as the Pitamaha (the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music as he formulated the basic lessons in teaching Carnatic music, and in honour of his significant contribution to Carnatic music. He structured graded exercises known as Swaravalis and Alankaras , and at
2714-427: A view of outlining the raga, the tempo, and the theme of the composition. Kalpanaswaram, also known as swarakalpana, consists of improvising melodic and rhythmic passages using swaras (solfa syllables). Like niraval, kalpanaswaras are sung to end on a particular swara in the raga of the melody and at a specific place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. Kalpanaswaras have a somewhat predictable rhythmical structure;
2832-449: A wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques, and culinary presentations. From salads to sauces, from vegetarian to meat, from spices to sensuous, from bread to desserts, Indian cuisine is invariably complex. Harold McGee, a favourite of many Michelin-starred chefs, writes "for sheer inventiveness with the milk itself as the primary ingredient, no country on earth can match India." I travel to India at least three to four times
2950-445: A year. It's always inspirational. There is so much to learn from India because each and every state is a country by itself and each has its own cuisine. There are lots of things to learn about the different cuisines – it just amazes me. I keep my mind open and like to explore different places and pick up different influences as I go along. I don't actually think that there is a single state in India that I haven't visited. Indian food
3068-463: Is a chaturswara rāgam The music composition available in this rāgam This music theory article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Carnatic music Traditional Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangita (known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in the Dravidian languages ) is a system of music commonly associated with South India , including
3186-592: Is a common addition to meals, as a way of tempering spiciness . Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate, and rural/urban settings. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari and mekhela sador for women and the kurta , dhoti or lungi or panche (in Kannada) for men. Stitched clothes are also popular such as churidar or salwar-kameez for women, with dupatta (long scarf) thrown over shoulder completing
3304-489: Is a cosmopolitan cuisine that has so many ingredients. I don't think any cuisine in the world has got so many influences on the way that Indian food has. It is a very rich cuisine and is very varied. Every region in the world has its own sense of how Indian food should be perceived. ... it takes me back to the first Christmas I can remember, when the grandmother I hadn't yet met, who was Indian and lived in England, sent me
3422-610: Is a significant cultural, linguistic, and political Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) influence on early India, which can also be observed by Austroasiatic loanwords within Indo-Aryan languages and rice cultivation , which was introduced by East/Southeast Asian rice-agriculturalists using a route from Southeast Asia through Northeast India into the Indian subcontinent. They have been credited with shaping much of Indian philosophy , literature , architecture , art and music . Greater India
3540-804: Is adept enough to perform at a concert. Indian culture Indian culture is the heritage of social norms and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India, pertaining to the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and the Republic of India post-1947. The term also applies beyond India to countries and cultures whose histories are strongly connected to India by immigration, colonisation, or influence, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia . India's languages , religions , dance , music , architecture , food , and customs differ from place to place within
3658-722: Is adept in tala, attains liberation ( moksha ) without doubt"). Contemporray Carnatic music is based on musical concepts (including svara , raga , and tala ) that were described in detail in several ancient works, particularly the Bharata 's Natya Shastra and Cilappatikaram by Ilango Adigal . Owing to Persian and Islamic influences in North India from the 12th century onwards, Indian classical music began to diverge into two distinct styles — Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Commentaries and other works, such as Sharngadeva 's Sangita Ratnakara , further elaborated on
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3776-466: Is celebrated in different parts of India with a unique style at different times. Ugadi , Bihu , Gudhi Padwa , Puthandu , Vaisakhi , Pohela Boishakh , Vishu and Vishuva Sankranti are the New Year festival of different part of India. Certain festivals in India are celebrated by multiple religions. Notable examples include Diwali , which is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains across
3894-406: Is considered slightly more formal than Namaste but both express deep respect. Namaskar is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus , Jains and Buddhists, and many continue to use this outside the Indian subcontinent . In Indian and Nepali culture , the word is spoken at the beginning of written or verbal communication. However, the same hands folded gesture may be made wordlessly or said without
4012-416: Is constantly increasing. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gāyaki ). Like Hindustani music , Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga , the modes or melodic formulae, and tāḷa , the rhythmic cycles. Today, Carnatic music
4130-398: Is consumed with a variety of curries and lentil soups or broths . Vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods are both popular. Hyderabadi cuisine includes popular delicacies such as Biryani , Haleem , Baghara baingan and Kheema, while Hyderabadi day to day dishes see some commonalities with Telanganite Telugu food, with its use of tamarind, rice, and lentils, along with meat. Yogurt
4248-410: Is divided over what the phenomenon means: for traditionalists, the rising numbers portend the breakdown of society while, for some modernists, they speak of healthy new empowerment for women. Recent studies suggest that Indian culture is trending away from traditional arranged marriages. Banerjee et al. surveyed 41,554 households across 33 states and union territories in India in 2005. They find that
4366-473: Is formed with three basic parts (called anga s) which are laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam , though complex talas may have other parts like plutam , guru , and kaakapaadam . There are seven basic tala groups which can be formed from the laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam : A laghu has five variants (called jaathi s) based on the counting pattern. Five jaathis times seven tala groups gives thirty-five basic tala s, although use of other anga s results in
4484-399: Is integral to Ragam Tanam Pallavi. Originally developed for the veena, it consists of expanding the raga with syllables like tha, nam, thom, aa, nom, na, etc. Ragam, Tanam, and Pallavi are the principal long form in concerts, and is a composite form of improvisation. As the name suggests, it consists of raga alapana, tanam, and a pallavi line. Set to a slow-paced tala , the pallavi line
4602-458: Is known for its love of food and spices. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the local produce, cultural diversity, and varied demographics of the country. Generally, Indian cuisine can be split into five categories – northern , southern , eastern, western, and northeastern. The diversity of Indian cuisine is characterised by the differing use of many spices and herbs, a wide assortment of recipes and cooking techniques. Though
4720-584: Is low — 1% compared with about 40% in the United States. These statistics do not reflect a complete picture, though. There is a dearth of scientific surveys or studies on Indian marriages where the perspectives of both husbands and wives were solicited in-depth. Sample surveys suggest the issues with marriages in India are similar to trends observed elsewhere in the world. The divorce rates are rising in India. Urban divorce rates are much higher. Women initiate about 80 percent of divorces in India. Opinion
4838-488: Is no equivalent raga in Hindustani music and scale in western music Amritha Kalyani is an symmetric rāgam does not contain rishabham, madhyamam and dhaivatam in the ascending and descending of the scale. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows. The notes used in this scale are shadjam, antara gandharam, panchamam, kaishiki nishadham in both ascending and descending scale . It
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4956-426: Is often composed by the performer. Through niraval, the performer manipulates the pallavi line in complex melodic and rhythmic ways. The niraval is followed by kalpanaswarams. Tani Avartanam refers to the extended solo that is played by the percussionists in a concert, and is usually played after the main composition in a concert. The percussionist displays the full range of his skills and rhythmic imagination during
5074-458: Is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings, either vocally or through instruments. Carnatic music itself developed around musical works or compositions of phenomenal composers (see below). Śruti commonly refers to musical pitch. It is the approximate equivalent of a tonic (or less precisely a key) in Western music; it is the note from which all the others are derived. It is also used in
5192-547: Is specifically evidence for early influences from East and Southeast Asian-derived cultural areas, primarily via Austroasiatic ( Mon Khmer ) groups during the Neolithic period , on certain cultural and political elements of Ancient India , and which may have arrived together with the spread of rice cultivation from Mainland Southeast Asia . A significant number of ethnic minorities in central , eastern and northeastern India are Austroasiatic language speakers, most notably
5310-443: Is the exposition of a raga or tone – a slow improvisation with no rhythm, where the raga acts as the basis of embellishment. In performing alapana, performers consider each raga as an object that has beginnings and endings and consists somehow of sequences of thought. The performer will explore the ragam and touch on its various nuances, singing in the lower octaves first, then gradually moving up to higher octaves, while giving
5428-401: Is traditionally taught according to the system formulated by Purandara Dasa . This involves sarali swaras (graded exercises), alankaras (exercises based on the seven talas), geetams or simple songs, and Swarajatis . After the student has reached a certain standard, varnams are taught and later, the student learns kritis . It typically takes several years of learning before a student
5546-423: Is usually only one variant of each note present. The exceptions exist in "light" ragas, in which, for artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the arohanam ) and another descending (in the avarohanam ). A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody – very similar to the Western concept of mode . It specifies rules for movements up ( aarohanam ) and down ( avarohanam ),
5664-430: The divya prabandham , thevaram and ugabhoga are often performed similarly, however, these forms can also have a set melody and rhythm like the devaranama , javali , padam , thillana and thiruppugazh forms. The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the varnam and the kriti (or kirtanam ). Varnams are short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features and requirements of
5782-628: The Baháʼí Faith are also influential but their numbers are smaller. Atheism and agnostics also have visible influence in India, along with a self-ascribed tolerance to other faiths. Atheism and agnosticism have a long history in India and flourished within Śramaṇa movement . The Cārvāka school originated in India around the 6th century BCE. It is one of the earliest form of materialistic and atheistic movement in ancient India. Sramana , Buddhism , Jainism , Ājīvika and some schools of Hinduism consider atheism to be valid and reject
5900-820: The Baháʼí Faith ), Shalom aleichem (used by followers of Judaism ), Hamazor Hama Ashobed (used by followers of Zoroastrianism ), Sahebji ( Persian and Gujarati ; used by the Parsi people), Dorood ( Persian and Gujarati ; used by the Irani people), Om Namah Shivaya /Jai Bholenath Jaidev (used in Dogri and Kashmiri , also used in the city of Varanasi ), Jai Ambe Maa/Jai Mata di (used in Eastern India ), Jai Ganapati Bapa (used in Marathi and Konkani ), etc. These traditional forms of greeting may be absent in
6018-550: The Braj Bhasha and Rajasthani dialects of Hindi ), Ram Ram/(Jai) Sita Ram ji ( Awadhi and Bhojpuri dialects of Hindi and other Bihari dialects ), and Sat Sri Akal ( Punjabi ; used by followers of Sikhism ), As-salamu alaykum ( Urdu ; used by follower of Islam ), Jai Jinendra (a common greeting used by followers of Jainism ), Jai Bhim (used by followers of Ambedkarism ), Namo Buddhay (used by followers of Buddhism ), Allah Abho (used by followers of
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#17327980125226136-779: The Common Era . According to philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , the earliest of these, which date back to the composition of the Upanishads in the later Vedic period (1000–500 BCE) , constitute "the earliest philosophical compositions of the world." Competition and integration between the various schools were intense during their formative years, especially between 800 BCE and 200 CE. Some schools like Jainism, Buddhism, Śaiva, and Advaita Vedanta survived, but others, like Samkhya and Ājīvika , did not; they were either assimilated or became extinct. Subsequent centuries produced commentaries and reformulations continuing up to as late as
6254-578: The Constitution of India is one of the Directive Principles which directs that the state shall endeavor to prohibit slaughtering and smuggling of cattle , calves and other milch and draught cattle . As of January 2012, cow remains a divisive and controversial topic in India. Several states of India have passed laws to protect cows, while many states have no restrictions on the production and consumption of beef. Some groups oppose
6372-532: The Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains . Over the centuries, there has been a significant fusion of cultures between Buddhists , Hindus , Muslims , Jains , Sikhs and various tribal populations in India. India is the birthplace of Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism , and other religions . They are collectively known as Indian religions. Indian religions are a major form of world religions along with Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are
6490-489: The Hyderabadi Muslim community . Hyderabadi food is based heavily on non-vegetarian ingredients while, Telugu food is a mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients. Telugu food is rich in spices and chillies are abundantly used. The food also generally tends to be more on the tangy side with tamarind and lime juice both used liberally as souring agents. Rice is the staple food of Telugu people. Starch
6608-420: The Indian subcontinent . There are six schools of orthodox Hindu philosophy — Nyaya , Vaisheshika , Samkhya , Yoga , Mīmāṃsā and Vedanta —and four heterodox schools— Jain , Buddhist , Ājīvika and Cārvāka – last two are also schools of Hinduism. However, there are other methods of classification; Vidyarania for instance identifies sixteen schools of Indian philosophy by including those that belong to
6726-516: The Indosphere , Greater India , and the world. The British Raj further influenced Indian culture, such as through the widespread introduction of the English language , which resulted in a local English dialect and influences on the Indian languages. Indian-origin religions Hinduism , Jainism , Buddhism , and Sikhism , are all based on the concepts of dharma and karma . Ahimsa ,
6844-656: The Munda and Khasic . Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the globe. In most Indian restaurants outside India, the menu does not do justice to the enormous variety of Indian cuisine available – the most common cuisine served on the menu would be Punjabi cuisine ( chicken tikka masala is a very popular dish in the United Kingdom). There do exist some restaurants serving cuisines from other regions of India, although these are few and far between. Historically, Indian spices and herbs were one of
6962-816: The Trinity of Carnatic music include Sripadaraja , Vyasatirtha , Kanakadasa , Vadiraja Tirtha , Arunachala Kavi , Annamacharya , Narayana Theertha , Vijaya Dasa , Jagannatha Dasa , Gopala Dasa , Bhadrachala Ramadas , Sadasiva Brahmendra and Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi . Other composers are Swathi Thirunal , Gopalakrishna Bharathi , Neelakanta Sivan , Patnam Subramania Iyer , Mysore Vasudevachar , Koteeswara Iyer , Muthiah Bhagavathar , Subramania Bharathiyar , Kalyani Varadarajan , M. Balamuralikrishna and Papanasam Sivan . The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently by artists of today. Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of
7080-492: The kriti (or kirtanam) – a form developed between the 14th and 20th centuries by composers such as Purandara Dasa , and the Trinity of Carnatic music . Carnatic music is also usually taught and learned through compositions. Telugu language predominates in the evolution of Carnatic music. Most Carnatic compositions are in Telugu and Sanskrit. Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of
7198-441: The scale of which notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung with gamaka (ornamentation), which phrases should be used or avoided, and so on. In effect, it is a series of obligatory musical events which must be observed, either absolutely or with a particular frequency. In Carnatic music, the sampoorna ragas (those with all seven notes in their scales) are classified into
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#17327980125227316-513: The veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations. References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient texts, including epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata . The Yajnavalkya Smriti states, " vīṇāvādana tattvajñaḥ śrutijātiviśāradaḥ tālajñaścāprayāsena mokṣamārgaṃ niyacchati" (The one who is well versed in veena , one who has the knowledge of srutis and one who
7434-532: The Śaiva and Raseśvara traditions. Since medieval India (ca.1000–1500), schools of Indian philosophical thought have been classified by the Brahmanical tradition as either orthodox or non-orthodox – āstika or nāstika – depending on whether they regard the Vedas as an infallible source of knowledge. The main schools of Indian philosophy were formalized chiefly between 1000 BCE to the early centuries of
7552-497: The "father ( pitamaha ) of Carnatic music", formulated the system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic music. Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the melakarta system of raga classification in his Sanskrit work, the Chaturdandi Prakasika (1660 AD). Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta system into the sampurna raga scheme – the system that is in common use today. By
7670-457: The "pan-Asian" dish. Regional Indian cuisine continues to evolve. A fusion of East Asian and Western cooking methods with traditional cuisines, along with regional adaptations of fast food are prominent in major Indian cities. The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana consists of the Telugu cuisine , of the Telugu people as well as Hyderabadi cuisine (also known as Nizami cuisine), of
7788-657: The 16th century, Indian classical music split into two styles: Hindustani in the North and Karnataka (later called Carnatic) in the South. The term "Karnataka" music originated from the Vijayanagara Empire, historically known as the Karnataka Empire. The British later influenced the change in name to "Carnatic" music, and the term is only about 150–200 years old. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Carnatic music
7906-562: The 18th century, South Indian immigrant communities abroad increased, especially in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka . Communities such as the Nattukottai Chettiars participate in the extension of the Carnatic cultural scene abroad, thanks to their rich patronage activity. Carnatic music artists therefore perform abroad among South Indian communities who request their coming, in order to enliven local community life. For
8024-402: The 2011 Census of India. In 2009, about 7% of women got married before the age of 18. In most marriages, the bride's family provides a dowry to the bridegroom. Traditionally, the dowry was considered a woman's share of the family wealth, since a daughter had no legal claim on her natal family's real estate. It also typically included portable valuables such as jewelry and household goods that
8142-444: The 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India practice Hinduism . Islam (14.2%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.7%), Buddhism (0.7%) and Jainism (0.4%) are the other major religions followed by the people of India. Many tribal religions , such as Sarnaism , are found in India, though these have been affected by major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Jainism, Zoroastrianism , Judaism , and
8260-408: The 20th century. Authors who gave contemporary meaning to traditional philosophies include Shrimad Rajchandra , Swami Vivekananda , Ram Mohan Roy , and Swami Dayananda Saraswati . For generations, India has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system . It is when extended members of a family – parents, children, the children's spouses, and their offspring, etc. – live together. Usually,
8378-491: The Carnatic music repertoire. The performance of the Sanskrit sloka , Tamil viruttam , Kannada Ugabhoga and Telugu padyamu or sisapadya forms are particularly unique. Though these forms consist of lyric-based verses , musicians improvise raga phrases in free rhythm, like an alapana , so both the sound value, and the meaning of the text, guide the musician through elaborate melodic improvisations. Forms such as
8496-407: The Hindu festivals of Chhath , Navratri , Janmashtami , Diwali , Maha Shivratri , Ganesh Chaturthi , Durga Puja , Holi , Rath Yatra , Ugadi , Vasant Panchami , Rakshabandhan , and Dussehra . Several harvest festivals such as Makar Sankranti , Sohrai , Pusnâ , Hornbill , Chapchar Kut , Pongal , Onam and Raja sankaranti swinging festival are also fairly popular. India celebrates
8614-717: The Indian family, notes that over the last 60 years, the cultural trend in most parts of India has been an accelerated change from joint family to nuclear families, much like population trends in other parts of the world. The traditionally large joint family in India, in the 1990s, accounted for a small percent of Indian households, and on average had lower per capita household income. He finds that joint family still persists in some areas and in certain conditions, in part due to cultural traditions and in part due to practical factors. Youth in lower socio-economic classes are more inclined to spend time with their families than their peers due to differing ideologies in rural and urban parenting. With
8732-514: The Indian states have declared regional holidays for the particular regional popular festivals; such as Arba'een , Jumu'ah-tul-Wida and Shab-e-Qadar . Christianity in India is the third-largest religion with over 27.8 million Christians, according to India's 2011 census. With over 27.8 million Christians, of which 17 million are Roman Catholics, India is home to many Christian festivals. The country celebrates Christmas and Good Friday as public holidays. Regional and community fairs are also
8850-772: The West in states like Goa but have more Indian customs in other states. India, being a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, celebrates holidays and festivals of various religions. The three national holidays in India , the Independence Day , the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti , are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm across India. In addition, many Indian states and regions have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular religious festivals include
8968-408: The basic elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), svara (the musical sound of a single note), rāga (the mode or melodic formulae), and tala (the rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially
9086-668: The butchering of cows, while other secular groups argue that what kind of meat one eats ought to be a matter of personal choice in a democracy. Madhya Pradesh enacted a law in January 2012, namely the Gau-Vansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan) Act, which makes cow slaughter a serious offence. Gujarat, a western state of India, has the Animal Preservation Act, enacted in October 2011, that prohibits
9204-830: The centuries. India has 28 states and 8 union territories with different cultures and is the most populated country in the world. The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several various cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is several thousand years old. Throughout the history of India, Indian culture has been heavily influenced by Dharmic religions. Influence from East/Southeast Asian cultures onto ancient India and early Hinduism, specifically via Austroasiatic groups , such as early Munda and Mon Khmer , but also Tibetic and other Tibeto-Burmese groups, had noteworthy impact on local Indian peoples and cultures. Several scholars, such as Professor Przyluski, Jules Bloch, and Lévi, among others, concluded that there
9322-546: The city of Chennai . Various Carnatic music festivals are held throughout India and abroad, including the Madras Music Season , which has been considered to be one of the world's largest cultural events. Like all art forms in Indian culture , Indian classical music is believed to be a divine art form which originated from the devas and devis ( Hindu gods and goddesses), and is venerated as symbolic of nāda brāhman . Ancient treatises also describe
9440-412: The concept of creator deity , ritualism and superstitions . India has produced some notable atheist politicians and social reformers . According to the 2012 WIN-Gallup Global Index of Religion and Atheism report, 81% of Indians were religious, 13% were not religious, 3% were convinced atheists , and 3% were unsure or did not respond. Indian philosophy comprises the philosophical traditions of
9558-544: The connection of the origin of the svaras , or notes, to the sounds of animals and birds and man's effort to simulate these sounds through a keen sense of observation and perception. The Samaveda , which is believed to have laid the foundation for Indian classical music, consists of hymns from the Rigveda , set to musical tunes which would be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic yajnas . The Yajurveda , which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae, mentions
9676-444: The conventional representation) grouped according to the supertonic and mediant scale degrees. There is a system known as the katapayadi sankhya to determine the names of melakarta raga s. Raga s may be divided into two classes: janaka raga s (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) and janya raga s (descendant ragas of a particular janaka raga). Janya ragas are themselves subclassified into various categories. Tala refers to
9794-461: The country and Buddha Purnima , Krishna Janmashtami , Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated by Buddhists and Hindus. Sikh festivals, such as Guru Nanak Jayanti , Baisakhi are celebrated with full fanfare by Sikhs and Hindus of Punjab and Delhi where the two communities together form an overwhelming majority of the population. Adding colours to the culture of India, the Dree Festival is one of
9912-487: The country. Indian culture, often labelled as a combination of several cultures, has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old, beginning with the Indus Valley Civilization and other early cultural areas. Many elements of Indian culture, such as Indian religions , mathematics , philosophy , cuisine , languages , dance , music , and movies have had a profound impact across
10030-445: The curricula of most Jaffna colleges, where it gradually replaced from the mid-1930s the teaching of Western classical music , or its high esteem among the upper social classes of Colombo and Jaffna, where the learning of Carnatic music among young women is expected as a sign of good education. Many people have travelled to India for improving their skills, and the flow of students to India from Sri Lanka or of Sri Lankan Tamil origin
10148-543: The diversity of religious groups in India, there has been a history of turmoil and violence between them. India has been a theatre for violent religious clashes between members of different religions such as Hindus , Christians , Muslims , and Sikhs . Several groups have founded various national-religious political parties, and in spite of government policies minority religious groups are being subjected to prejudice from more dominant groups in order to maintain and control resources in particular regions of India. According to
10266-544: The flavour of a dish and create unique flavours and aromas. Cuisine across India has also been influenced by various cultural groups that entered India throughout history, such as the Central Asians , Arabs , Mughals , and European colonists . Sweets are also very popular among Indians, particularly in West Bengal where both Bengali Hindus and Bengali Muslims distribute sweets to mark joyous occasions. There
10384-650: The folded hand gesture. The word is derived from Sanskrit ( Namah ): to bow , reverential salutation , and respect , and (te): "to you". Taken literally, it means "I bow to you". In Hinduism it means "I bow to the divine in you." In most Indian families, younger men and women are taught to seek the blessing of their elders by reverentially bowing to their elders. This custom is known as Pranāma . Other greetings include Jai Jagannath (used in Odia ) Ami Aschi (used in Bengali ), Jai Shri Krishna (in Gujarati and
10502-603: The holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib four times. Indian Muslims celebrate a traditional Islamic wedding following customs similar to those practiced in the Middle East . The rituals include Nikah , payment of financial dower called Mahr by the groom to the bride, signing of a marriage contract, and a reception. Indian Christian weddings follow customs similar to those practiced in the Christian countries in
10620-592: The killing of cows along with buying, selling and transport of beef. In contrast, Assam and Andhra Pradesh allow butchering of cattle with a fit-for-slaughter certificate. In the states of West Bengal and Kerala, consumption of beef is not deemed an offence. Contrary to stereotypes, a sizeable number of Hindus eat beef, and many argue that their scriptures, such as Vedic and Upanishadic texts do not prohibit its consumption. In southern Indian state Kerala, for instance, beef accounts for nearly half of all meat consumed by all communities, including Hindus. Sociologists theorise that
10738-492: The languages Kannada , Malayalam , Sanskrit , Tamil , or Telugu . They usually included a signature, called a mudra , in their compositions. For example, all songs by Tyāgarāja (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have the word Tyagaraja in them, all songs by Muttuswāmi Dīkṣitar (who composed in Sanskrit and Maṇipravāl̥am) have the words Guruguha in them; songs by Śyāma Śāstri (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have
10856-404: The late 19th century, the city of Madras (now known as Chennai) emerged as the locus for Carnatic music. With the dissolution of the erstwhile princely states and the Indian independence movement reaching its conclusion in 1947, Carnatic music went through a radical shift in patronage into an art of the masses with ticketed performances organised by private institutions called sabhās . From
10974-644: The marriage trends in India are similar to trends observed over the last 40 years in China , Japan , and other nations. The study found that fewer marriages are purely arranged without consent and that the majority of surveyed Indian marriages are arranged with consent. The percentage of self-arranged marriages (called love marriages in India) was also increasing, particularly in the urban parts of India. Weddings are festive occasions in India with extensive decorations, colors, music, dance, costumes and rituals that depend on
11092-647: The modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Tamil Nadu and portions of east and south Telangana and southern Odisha . It is one of three main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda . (The other two are Hindustani music and Odissi music .) The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style. Although there are stylistic differences,
11210-464: The most sought after trade commodities. The spice trade between India and Europe led to the rise and dominance of Arab traders to such an extent that European explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus , set out to find new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery . The popularity of curry , which originated in India, across Asia has often led to the dish being labeled as
11328-532: The musical concepts found in Indian classical music. By the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clear demarcation between Carnatic and Hindustani music; Carnatic music remained relatively unaffected by Persian and Arabic influences. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in Vijayanagara , while the Vijayanagara Empire reached its greatest extent. Purandara Dasa , who is known as
11446-714: The musical element itself. This poses a special challenge for the musicians because rendering this music does not involve just playing or singing the correct musical notes; the musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by the composer in various languages, and sing musical phrases that act to create the effect that was intended by the composer in his/her composition. There are many types/forms of compositions. Geethams and swarajatis (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are principally meant to serve as basic learning exercises. Compositions more commonly associated with Indian classical dance and Indian devotional music have also been increasingly used in
11564-423: The musician's interpretation. A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element, the other being what is conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical experience, each composition brings out the knowledge and personality of the composer, and hence the words are as important as
11682-401: The oldest male member is the head of the joint Indian family system. He mostly makes all important decisions and rules, and other family members are likely to abide by them. With the current economy, lifestyle, and cost of living in most of the metro cities are high, the population is leaving behind the joint family model and adapting to the nuclear family model. Earlier living in a joint family
11800-470: The opening item – acting as a warm up for the musicians, and as a means of grabbing the attention of the audience. Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units: This kind of song is called a keerthanam or a kriti . There are other possible structures for a kriti , which may in addition include swara passages named chittaswara . A chittaswara consists only of notes, and has no words. Still others have
11918-737: The philosophy of nonviolence , is an important aspect of native Indian faiths whose most well-known proponent was Shri Mahatma Gandhi , who used civil disobedience to unite India during the Indian independence movement – this philosophy further inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel during the American civil rights movement . Foreign-origin religion, including Abrahamic religions , such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are also present in India, as well as Zoroastrianism and Baháʼí Faith both escaping persecution by Islam have also found shelter in India over
12036-528: The religion of the bride and the groom, as well as their preferences. The nation celebrates about 10 million weddings per year, of which over 80% are Hindu weddings . While there are many festival-related rituals in Hinduism, vivaha (wedding) is the most extensive personal ritual an adult Hindu undertakes in his or her life. Typical Hindu families spend significant effort and financial resources to prepare and celebrate weddings. The rituals and processes of
12154-595: The same time, introduced the Raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed Gitas (simple songs) for novice students. The contemporaries Tyagaraja (1767– 1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar , (1776–1835) and Syama Sastri , (1762–1827) are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music because of the quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the varieties of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja's prolific output in composing kritis . Prominent composers prior to
12272-408: The sense of graded pitches in an octave . While there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the number that can be distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although over the years, several of them have converged). In this sense, while sruti is determined by auditory perception, it is also an expression in the listener's mind. Svara refers to
12390-559: The solfege (called a swara ) has three variants. The exceptions are the drone notes, shadja and panchama (also known as the tonic and the dominant ), which have only one form; and madhyama (the subdominant ), which has two forms. A 7th century stone inscription in Kudumiyan Malai in Tamil Nadu shows vowel changes to solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher quarter-tones. In one scale, or raga , there
12508-409: The solo, which may take from two to twenty minutes. In contrast to Hindustani music of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned through compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composer's vision, as well as
12626-488: The spread of education and growth of economics, the traditional joint-family system is breaking down rapidly across India and attitudes towards working women have changed. Arranged marriages have long been the norm in Indian society. Even today, the majority of Indians have their marriages planned by their parents and other respected family members. In the past, the age of marriage was young. The average age of marriage for women in India has increased to 21 years, according to
12744-543: The subject of numerous other tales and fables such as the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales . In Hinduism, the cow is regarded as a symbol of ahimsa (non-violence), mother goddess and bringer of good fortune and wealth. For this reason, cows are revered in Hindu culture and feeding a cow is seen as an act of worship. This is why beef remains a taboo food in mainstream Hindu and Jain society. The Article 48 of
12862-418: The swaras are sung to end on the samam (the first beat of the rhythmical cycle). The swaras can also be sung at the same speed or double the speed of the melody that is being sung, though some artists sing triple-speed phrases too. Kalpanaswaram is the most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught before any other form of improvisation. Tanam is one of the most important forms of improvisation, and
12980-677: The tribal festivals of India celebrated by the Apatanis of the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh , which is the easternmost state of India. Nowruz is the most important festival among the Parsi community of India. Islam in India is the second largest religion with over 172 million Muslims, according to India's 2011 census. The Islamic festivals which are observed and are declared public holiday in India are; Eid al-Fitr , Eid al-Adha (Bakri Eid), Milad-un-Nabi , Muharram and Shab-e-Barat . Some of
13098-404: The widespread consumption of cow meat in India is because it is a far cheaper source of animal protein for the poor than mutton or chicken, which retail at double the price. For these reasons, India's beef consumption post-independence in 1947 has witnessed a much faster growth than any other kind of meat; currently, India is one of the five largest producers and consumers of cattle livestock meat in
13216-657: The words Ś yāma Kr̥ṣṇa in them; all songs by Purandaradasa (who composed in Kannada and Sanskrit) have the words Purandara Vitthala ; while Gopalakrishna Bharathi (who composed in Tamil) used the signature Gopalakrishnan in his compositions. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the Tamil Tyagaraja of Carnatic music, composed in Tamil and Sanskrit, and used the signature Ramadasan in his compositions. Carnatic music
13334-545: The world of business and in India's urban environment, where a handshake is a common form of greeting. The varied and rich wildlife of India has a profound impact on the region's popular culture. Common name for wilderness in India is jungle which was adopted by Britons living in India to the English language. The word has been also made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling . India's wildlife has been
13452-435: The world's third and fourth-largest religions respectively, with over 2 billion followers altogether, and possibly as many as 2.5 or 2.6 billion followers. Followers of Indian religions – Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists make up around 80–82% population of India. India is one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion plays
13570-476: The world. A beef ban has been made in Maharashtra and other states as of 2015. While states such as Madhya Pradesh are passing local laws to prevent cruelty to cows, other Indians are arguing "If the real objective is to prevent cruelty to animals, then why single out the cows when hundreds of other animals are maltreated?" Indian food is as diverse as India. Indian cuisines use numerous ingredients, deploy
13688-629: Was mainly patronised by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore , Kingdom of Travancore , and the Maratha rulers of Tanjore . Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena , rudra veena , violin , ghatam , venu , mridangam , nadaswaram , and swarabat . Some famous court-musicians proficient in music were Veene Sheshanna (1852–1926) and Veene Subbanna (1861–1939), among others. During
13806-463: Was the historical extent of Indian culture beyond the Indian subcontinent . This particularly concerns the spread of Hinduism , Buddhism , architecture , administration and writing system from India to other parts of Asia through the Silk Road by the travelers and maritime traders during the early centuries of the Common Era . To the west, Greater India overlaps with Greater Persia in
13924-437: Was with the purpose of creating love and concern for the family members. However, now it's a challenge to give time to each other as most of them are out for survival needs. Rise in the trends of nuclear family settings has led to a change in the traditional family headship structure and older males are no longer the mandated heads of the family as they mostly live alone during old age and are far more vulnerable than before. In
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