Читать книгу Exciting India - Bikram Grewal - Страница 8

a nation of dazzling

ethnic diversity

The diversity among India's billion-strong citizens is mind-boggling, and the numerous ethnic and cultural variations make for an incredible array of humanity.

Women at the Tarnetar fair in Gujarat.

Children dressed in holi colours.

Bismillah Khan-India's renowned shehnai player.

A Sikh Nihang warrior.

A young woman in traditional dress and jewellery.

iNDIA IS A LAND of over a billion people but it is impossible to characterize a typical Indian, given the immense diversity of its peoples. Centuries of conquests and colonization, and constant interaction with traders, missionaries and settlers, have given rise to many broad ethnic and cultural groups in today's India. The Adivasi is the archetypal Indian who inhabits the mountains and forests. The dark-skinned Dravidians live in the fertile plains of the south. The Aryans of the north came to India from Central Asia, while Arabs, Parsis and Bahais came from the Middle East and settled along the western coast. Indians are also divided along religious and caste lines, with the Hindus predominating as a religious group.

tHE HINDUS divided according to caste, a four-tiered system that predetermines the profession and status of individuals. At the top of the caste hierarchy are the Brahmins, who are intellectuals or priests. Then come the Kshatriyas, or warriors, followed by the Vaishyas - businessmen or traders. The Shudras are on the bottom rung of the ladder, doing menial jobs. Outside the divisions of caste are the outcastes - the lowest of the low.

An aged goat-herd from rural India.

The driver of a steam locomotive-India boasts the largest railway network in the world.

Muslim children at a traditional Islamic school, or madrasa.

A tribal woman. A sadhu puffs at his chillum. Agricultural labourers at work in a paddy field.

Sikh men performing the bhangra, a vigorous dance accompanied by rhythmic drumming and singing.