The People of India PDF

# Chapter 8: The People of India ## Learning Objectives * Our Population * Our Food Habits * Our Languages * Unity in Diversity * Our Festivals ## Warm-Up Tick (✔) the images which are related to the Indian culture. This is a list of 5 images: 1. Two hands clasped together in a prayer position. (...

# Chapter 8: The People of India ## Learning Objectives * Our Population * Our Food Habits * Our Languages * Unity in Diversity * Our Festivals ## Warm-Up Tick (✔) the images which are related to the Indian culture. This is a list of 5 images: 1. Two hands clasped together in a prayer position. (**✔**) 2. A bowl of noodles with vegetables. 3. A woman wearing traditional Indian clothing, dancing. (**✔**) 4. The Taj Mahal. (**✔**) 5. Two people shaking hands. 6. The Qutub Minar. (**✔**) ## India's Culture India is a land of varied cultures. People from various communities reside in India, adding to its diversity. India is a land of rich culture that dates back thousands of years. The most prominent feature of India's culture is that it is a blend of many cultures. Every state of India has its own culture, with distinct languages, food habits, festivals, dance forms, art forms, traditions and more. All these cultural differences make India a unique and diverse nation with the largest democracy in the world. ## Our Population Population is the total number of human beings living in a particular area. According to the Census of 2023, the population of India is about 143 crores or 1.43 billion. India ranks first in the list of the most populated countries in the world. India has 28 states and 8 union territories. The population in these states is not the same. States in Northern Plains are highly populated, while the states in the Himalayas are less populated. This is because plains have more favorable conditions for living as compared to the mountains or deserts. Uttar Pradesh is the highest populated state, while Sikkim is the lowest populated state in India. ## Our Languages Since people from different communities live in India, there is not a single language spoken across the whole country. The majority of people in North India speak Hindi, while in South India, people speak Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, etc. For the sake of convenience, the Constitution of India recognizes 22 languages, with Hindi being the official language. This makes India a multilingual country. Some of the languages spoken here are Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and more. **Fact Corner:** Sanskrit and Tamil are two of the oldest languages of the world. ## Our Festivals India is a land of festivals. People from different religions and regions live here, so we celebrate many festivals in India throughout the year. Festivals unite people and bring them together for the purpose of celebration and happiness. They also help us embrace our culture and religion. There are festivals like Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti which are celebrated by the entire nation with great zeal. These festivals are called National festivals. Some festivals like Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Baisakhi, Bihu, Pongal, Onam, etc., are celebrated to mark the harvesting of crops. These are called Harvesting festivals. Some festivals have special importance related to a particular religion. Such festivals are called Religious festivals. For example, Holi, Diwali, Eid, Gurupurab, Ganesh Chaturthi, Christmas are some of the religious festivals celebrated in India. # Assess Yourself Write True or False for the following statements: 1. Lohri is a religious festival. 2. Hindi is the national language of our country. 3. India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories. ## Our Food Habits India is known for its different food varieties and cooking methods. Indian food reflects the perfect blend of cultures and ages. People living in different parts of India eat different types of food. Different states are known for their varieties of delicacies. For example, Punjab is famous for its chole bhature, Gujarat is famous for dhokla, thepla, khandavi, South India is famous for dosa, sambhar, idli and so on. People living in different regions eat food according to what is majorly grown there. For example, wheat is the staple food of Northern India and rice is the staple food of South India and North-East India. Different varieties of spices are used in Indian Food, as they boost the immunities and are good for health. Spices like turmeric, cumin, cloves, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, chillies, etc., not only make the food tasty, but also healthy. Different varieties of oil are used in preparing food items. In North India, people mostly use mustard oil and ghee, in Central India, groundnut oil is preferred, while people in South India use coconut oil to prepare food. Different states have different dietary preferences. Some people prefer vegetarian food, while some prefer non-vegetarian food. ## Unity in Diversity India is a home of different religions, languages, culture, art forms and so on. Though people with various lifestyles and languages live in India, yet they are united when any kind of problem or disaster falls upon the country. It is ingrained in our culture to help our countrymen and respect everyone's religion and language. Even though there are variety of languages spoken in India, still Hindi is recognised as the National Language by the entire country. Unity in Diversity is not only the beautiful aspect of our country, but also its strength. Embracing other people like our brothers and sisters and respecting their culture is what we have been taught by our ancestors. **Elders Say:** We should be aware of our values and history of our country and know from where it has come through. We should always remember that, 'United we stand, Divided We Fall'. Even if we observe our neighbourhood, we can easily see that our friends and neighbours are from different culture and background. Even then, we all live in peace and harmony. Since our forefathers have done their part by teaching us the importance of unity, now it is our responsibility to teach these values to our future generations. Our national symbols like National Flag, National Anthem and National Song represent the culture and values of our nation. They remind us of our duty to preserve the integrity of the nation. The Constitution of India tells us about our rights and duties. According to it, every citizen in India is equal before the law. Despite all these cultural differences, we Indians represent a united front on the world's stage. This is what we call 'Unity in Diversity'. # Assess Yourself Tick (✔) the correct answer: 1. Rice is the staple diet of people in South/North India. 2. Dhokla is the famous cuisine of Gujarat/Punjab. 3. Diwali is a National/Religious festival. 4. Plains/Mountains are highly populated areas. 5. People in North India speak Hindi/Telugu. # Key Terms * **Population:** Total number of human beings living in a particular area. * **National festivals:** Festivals that are celebrated by the entire nation. * **Harvesting festivals:** Festivals that are celebrated to mark the harvesting of crops. * **Religious festivals:** Festivals that carry special importance related to a particular religion. * **Diversity:** Variety or mixture or the condition of having many different elements. # Summary * People from various communities reside in India which adds to its diversity. * Every state of India has its own languages, food habits, festivals, dance forms, art forms, traditions and so on. * According to the census of 2023, the population of India is 143 crores or 1.43 billion. * The Constitution of India has recognised 22 languages with Hindi being the national language. This makes India a multilingual country. * People belonging to different religions and regions live in India because of which many festivals are celebrated throughout the year. * People living in different parts of India eat different types of food. * People living in different regions eat food according to what is majorly grown there. * Unity in Diversity is not only a beautiful aspect of our country, but also its strength. * Despite all the cultural differences, we Indians represent a united front on the world's stage. This is called 'Unity in Diversity'.