IV Culture of India A Taj Mahal Taj

IV. Culture of India

A. Taj Mahal • Taj Mahal – Most famous work of Islamic architecture • Located in India • Was built as the tomb of an Indian Queen

Taj Mahal

B. Music and Film • Indians love watching movies and listening to music • India makes more movies than any other country in the world • Style of music that is unique to this area of the world

Bollywood – Bombay, India

Indian Movie Snacks

C. Languages of India • 18 official languages • Dialect – Regional variety of a language • Hundreds of different dialects are spoken throughout India

• Indo-Aryan – Language family which come from the ancient Aryan language Sanskrit • Dravidian – Original language spoken in India many years ago • English – Language of business, government, and science

D. Religion in Daily Life • Hindus can believe in one god, many gods, or no gods at all • There is no single set of rules that all Hindus must follow • They do not have churches • Ganges River – Considered to be the holiest waters in the world by Hindus

Followers Bathing in the Ganges River

Looks Clean

E. Family in India • Most Indians live with members of their extended family • Arranged Marriage – Parents select who their children wed • Many marriages in India are still arranged

• Dowry – Money or property given by a bride to her new husband his family • Practice is growing less common today, but still common

Indian Bride-To-Be