Culture,
Sanskriti in Indian terms, is a
variation of the word sacrament –Sanskara. Sacrament is a further extension on the word sacred, i.e., something that involves piety and
sanctity in behaviour and expression. Mathew Arnold can be
rightly quoted here to bring home the true essence of culture. He said that culture is, “to know the best that has been
said and thought in the world.” That is why; a person possessing
sacramental disposition and leading life gracefully is called a cultured one.
Likewise, Sanskara from which the
word Sanskriti is derived divulges a
special characteristic corollary of age-old ethical and moral values. One who
is filled with Sanskaras, and whose life is guided and inspired by
certain value system, is acknowledged as a Sanskari.
Hence,
in brief and a positive sense, culture signifies special tenets of people of a
particular region, or a society. Further, culture denotes people’s distinctive
practices or behaviours to make known their worth and identity to others.
The
fundamentals of a culture, which indeed and predominantly are iconic for a group
of people of a particular region or a society on the basis of their merit could
in general be analysed from the prospects of their progress. Moreover, they
could also be identified by drawing attention of others towards them through
their virtuous practice. This indeed includes the way of living of people
concerned –all of their day-to-day practices, faith, social and emotional
exchange, habits, customs, traditions, language, literature, art, and
music.
Indian
culture without a doubt possesses all of these as its basics. Indians since
ancient time have a unique identity on the basis of their way of living,
behaviour or day-to-day practices just as others reflect in different parts of
the world. However, India culture has remained evolutionary, harmonious and
comprehensive in its nature for years, which made it stand apart among other
cultures of the world. Along with this, Indian culture had for long possessed
the qualities of acceptability, amalgamation and refinement in ideas as per the
demand of time and space, which contributed to make it exceptional and
contextual. These features of Indian culture have in fact paved the way for its
blend with many other cultures of the world,
which came in contact with it from time-to-time. On the strength of these
features it has also influenced the history of the whole world. So many
elements of India's cultures, those related to the Dharma-practices, the Yoga,
diverse beliefs, ceremonial rites and rituals, and cuisine in particular have
left a profound and unique impact on people across the world.
The
history of Indian culture goes back to more than five thousand years. It is
well available to us from the days of the flourishing Indus Valley Civilization
[approximately 3000-2000 BCE especially extending
from today’s northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India].1
Evidences of this blooming culture have also been found in the remote
Southern regions, and north-eastern parts of India. The digging works
undertaken at various sites of the Indus Valley Civilization, particularly at Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Kot Diji [all in Pakistan now],
Kalibangan [in Rajasthan], Dholavira
and Lothal [in Gujarat], and Rakhigarhi and Bhirrana [in Haryana]
categorically divulged evolution, harmony and comprehensiveness [broad outlook]
to be the part and parcel of the life of Indians, along with diverse ways of
life. Further, they were carrying out day-to-day practices systematically as is
evident from their life-style, which include construction-works [planning of
houses, storage, bathrooms, roads, and drainage], socio-religious,
administrative activities and economic relations with others. People had in
those days wide-ranging inland and foreign trade
–export and import, by both, overland as well as maritime as proved by the
occurrence of small terracotta boats and the vast brick built dock at Lothal.2
These worth mentioning realities clearly reveal an ethnic life of Indians
in those days. There existed exemplary values in life on one hand, and a sound
culture, the foremost features of which have already been discussed in brief,
on the other.
The
foremost and exemplary features of Indian culture –evolution, harmony, broad
outlook and acceptability, which is proved from admissibility of existence of
diversities and their protection, surfaced as the basics of Indian culture five
thousand years ago. From these the
spirit of globalization [Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam] also emerged as is evident from India’s relations especially
trade with others in the world. On the strength of these and other features,
which developed from time-to-time and become an indivisible part of it3,
Indian culture has completed thousands of years of its journey successfully. It
still remains alive by maintaining its own identity while many other known and
more developed cultures occupying a substantial part of history have had their
time and ceased to exist. They came to an end much prior to their expansion
while Indian culture stands erect on the strength of its exemplary basics with
an evergreen and universal message of Jiyo aur Jeene do –Live and Let
Live.
Indian
culture saw numerous ups and down from time-to-time in its long journey of five
thousand years. It faced challenges and bore cruelties one after the others
externally and internally, both. External invaders and aggressor tried
continuously to destroy the basics of Indian culture. They attacked India in
the name of religion to bring Indian culture in the state of isolation.
Particularly in the medieval period their attacks were of severe nature. It was
then that the precious treasures of Indian culture including arts, literature
and monuments were destroyed. Though, the facts remains that those conquerors,
invaders and destroyers never succeeded in their mission of felling the tree of
Indian culture. They could not fulfil their vile dreams of draining the
cultural values running in the veins of the Indians. Despite this, on the
strength of its basics and with a clarion call of Live and Let Live Indian culture not only faced the challenges
successfully, but could also continue its journey.
I
reiterate that along with acceptability, broad outlook and unity in diversity,
it is an evolutionary approach that remains fundamental to the Indian culture.
These very tenets are the guiding principles of the Indian way and philosophy
as well. The Indian way and philosophical values have predominantly, as known
to all of us, played the vital role in the development of features of Indian culture.
These values are eternal. That is why; India on the basis of its unique culture
is not only fully capable of leading the world, but also to unite the humanity
as a whole. It renders all possibilities to meet challenges successfully in a
unified way, however tough they may be in nature.
In
these days of multiplying globalization the world needs to step forward in
unity and harmony for peace and prosperity of one and all. These two –peace and
prosperity could only be possible if along with the overcoming of the state of
isolation, the spirit of acceptability, mutual respect and tolerance is not
only realized by each and everyone, but it is also developed in the common life
in all walks of life. This is the only way available to the world today to establish
peace, and to accord prosperity, the prerequisites for the safe existence of
life on this planet. The ideals of Indian culture are worth adopting in their
refined form as per the demand of time and space. For this, Indians need to
introspect first; donning the true Indian spirit, and coming forward to lead
the world for a cultured society.
*Extract of a lecture
delivered on April 25, 2014 at the Centre for wellbeing and Self-Empowerment,
Ubud, Indonesia.
1.
The Indus Valley
Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, is acknowledged
as one of the ancient civilizations of the world; the civilizations of ancient
Egypt and Mesopotamia are the other two oldest civilizations of the world.
2.
It has been established
from the evidences that people of the days of Indus Valley Civilization were
widely engaged in foreign trade, distribution of exquisite beads and ornaments,
metal tools and pottery produced by specialized artisans in the major towns and
cities in particular, while cotton, lumber, grain, livestock and other food
stuffs as the major commodities of both the internal and external trade. They used to import copper from
Arabia, gold and silver from Persia [Iran], jade from the regions of Central
Asia. Amethyst Harappan seals and other small objects used by the merchants and
traders for stamping their goods have been found in Mesopotamia.
3.
As Bakhtiyar Khilji –a
Turkish Muslim who destroyed the treasures of the Nalanda University –a world
renowned ancient centre of higher studies and
learning, its library in particular in 1193 AD.
*****
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