Religions
1. Hinduism – 80% of the population are Hindus, they believed that they have to go through many reincarnation to move closer to Moksha – a stage when they can escaped from the rebirth cycle.
2. Buddhism – not much of the Indians were Buddhist but India is the place where Buddhism is founded. It is more of an ideology rather than a religion. The beginning of Buddhism takes place in Northern India around 500 B.C when a prince attains enlightenment.
3. Islam – ‘Islam’ is an Arabic term that means ‘submission to the god’ and ‘peace’. One tenth of the Islamic followers in the world stay in India, which makes India one of the biggest Islam nations worldwide.
4. Sikhism – Mainly practised in the region of Punjab, it tends to be aggressive in nature.
5. Christianity – it is spread some years ago before it is passed down to Europe.
6. Jainism – the followers is concentrated in the west and south-west of India. Their beliefs are very similar to Buddhism. It is divided into two sects which is Shvetembara and the Digambara.
Visual Arts
Paintings
Delhi painting is greatly influenced by the Mughal miniature paintings. Under the Mughal Empire, learning and culture reaches its peak since the Mughals has a flair for arts and architecture. The arts museum at Delhi showcases a very comprehensive collection of miniature paintings, paper paintings and marble paintings etc.
Handicrafts
Many exquisite and extraordinary handicrafts can be found in Delhi. One can found necklace or bracelets that are crafted from the bones of buffalos and camels. The coating of bangles is an olden form of art that is still practised until today in the ci
ty of Old Delhi. Embroidery is also considered as a form of craftship in Delhi whereby skilled craftsmen embroider on velvet, silk of saris and dresses. Another well known form of handicraft is the Meenakari work that involves imprinting paint on silver and gold as decoration. Pottery in Delhi is very well established which their art pieces include clay dolls and marvelous pots for containing drinking water.Way of Dressing
Traditional costumes for Her…
Churida Suits, also known as Salwar Kameez
Salwar refers to the loosely fit pants, while Kamees refers to the long shirt that ends slightly above the knee. It is often wear with a scarf that drapes over the shoulders.
Traditional Costumes for Him
Kurta Pajamas, the style is similar to Churida suits which i
nclude a shirt and trousers.Cuisine
There is a wide variety of Delhi cuisine which is majority of them consists spices. In the capital city of New Delhi, it’s easy to find spicy local food and sweets coming all over from the other regions of India. Generally, the Delhi people have a sweet tooth and enjoy the Bengali sweets, especially ‘Roshogullas’ and ‘Sandesh’. Punjabi 'Chhole-Bhature' and 'Pinni', Mughlai and Tandoori cuisines are the must-try for those who visit Delhi. For those who cannot take spiciness, gather your courage now and give a try of their cuisine! It’s difficult to resists the temptation and would be such a pity to give it a miss!
For the most authentic food in Delhi, it is highly encouraged to visit Karim’s in Old Delhi. It retains the original taste that contributes to its popularity among the locals as well as the foreigners. In addition, one can also try their delectable 'Korma', 'Kababs', and 'Biriyanis'. If you wish to have something light after days spending eating the rich flavored dishes, you can visit the South-Indian food paradise that offers well known local food such as the ‘Dosas’, ‘Uttapams’ and ‘Idli- Sambhar’ etc.
Festivals
Delhi, being the capital of India celebrated almost all the festivals which other region of the country also celebrates. It is a melting pot of many different cultures and religions and hence Delhi’s remain immersed in joyful ambience of the various festivals throughout the year.
These are the major festivals in Delhi:
Bhai Dooj Festival
It is celebrated either on the month of October or November when there is a full
moon night about one day after Diwali. ‘Bhai’ refers to brother, ‘Dooj’ means second day after the new moon, literally known as the day of brother. It is celebrated to signify the affection between brothers and sisters. This practise involves the sister applying Tilak (saffron and vermillion) on her brother’s forehead, giving him sweets and performs aarti (a ritual of worship to symbolize the love and respect of god). It is believed that brothers who have accepted tilak from his sister will not be thrown to hell. Personally, I feel that this practice does not only reflect the India’s culture, it also shows how the locals treasure the relationship between brothers and sisters. It’s definitely a good occasion for a bonding session, especially for those siblings who stay apart from each other.Chhath Festival
It is not an extravagant affair like other festivals. Chhath festival is held to hono
r the sun god when people express their gratitude and seek blessing from the nature forces – the sun and river. People believed that their prayers will be answered and they will be punished for any wrong done on this day.In Delhi, this festival requires the devotees to sacrifice in order to be purified. For Chath ceremony in New Delhi, numerous breakwaters are reserved at Yamuna River for Puja to begin. It is carried out by both men and women whereby they start preparing for it at the end of Diwali. In the process, they have to follow a strict lifestyle such as sticking to a totally vegetarian meal without salt, onions and garlic. Imagine a food diet without any flavoring?
Not only has that, the devotees also had to observe a fast from the break of day to sunset and ends off with a sweet. After which, they have to observe another fast for 36 hours that will end in the morning of Chath Puja. On the actual day, the devotees will stay in the river water from late midnight to dawn when the first ray of sunlight shines on earth. After that, those who didn’t participate in Puja will begin to offer their offerings to the Sun God. This is definitely an eye opener experience for those who have not witness this festival in Delhi.
Diwali Festival
Also known as the festival of lights or Deepavali, it is celebrated by Hindus every year at every city at India with much hullabaloo. Diwali season means a lot to the shopkeepers, shopping centre, do you know why? It’s the best opportunity to earn high revenue! People will be busy shopping for gifts for themselves, families, relatives and friends whereby they will exchange with each other on Diwali. Doesn’t it sound like Christmas?
On the festival of Diwali, the streets will be decorated with lights and the joyful ambience everywhere. People will also decorate their homes with flowers, electric lights as well as diyas (oil lamps) at the entrance. Do take note of the Rangoli on the floor – a traditional decorative art meant to welcome the deities and hence it is said to be sacred.
Eid Festival
This festival is being held twice in the year and it holds significant meaning to all Muslims. With reference to the Muslim calendar, the first Eid falls around the month of Zil-Haji which is also called Eid-ul-Zuha. It is a grand affair celebrated in Delhi; animals were sacrificed as part of the ritual and meat is later shared. The meaning behind it is to atone for the evil spirits within one self.
The second time of Eid is also called Eid-ul-Fitr falls on the month of Ramzan. It is celebrated with much happiness and merriment whereby people begin to buy presents to exchange with their loved ones. Worshippers also visit the mosque on this day for offering prayers, and they will greet each other and give each other a hug. On this festive day, a dessert ‘sewai’ – an Indian vermicelli milk pudding is served.
Holi Festival
This festival takes place on a full moon day, in the Hindu month of Phagun. It is a very unique festival which people begin to dab gulal (colors) and splashing water on each other. There are many legends behind this occasion and one of them is that an evil demoness, Holika intends to burn a devotee of Lord Krishna but end up being burnt to death. To commemorate Holi, bonfires are lit up and people start the worshipping of fire. The tradition of Holi festival includes the consumption of bhang products such as bhang drinks, sweets etc.
Lohri Festival
It is held on 13th February annually, to celebrate the harvesting season of Punjabs as well as the start of spring and end of the winter season. It is a very auspicious day that marks a new beginning. Lohri festival is a local occasion celebrated by the Punjabs, but it is also celebrated with equal energy and joy by the Sikh and Hindu community. The main aspect of this festival is the worshipping of fire – people gather around a bonfire to celebrate after sunset. After that, peanuts, sweets, popcorns and puffed rice will be thrown into flames. Water and milk will be poured around the fire. The whole ceremony will then end off with traditional song and folk dance.
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