The diversity of India
Your class may have children with different languages, foods and festivals; the whole of India is like that.
Diversity means differences in language, dress, food, festivals and customs. The "People of India" project recorded 4,635 communities, 325 languages and 25 scripts. India has about 1.4 billion people, around 18 percent of the world.
In the figure : Figures of India's diversity.
Rule 1: Numbers of diversity — India has 4,635 communities, 325 languages and 25 scripts. About 18 percent of the world lives here, so roughly every sixth person on Earth is Indian.
- Easy : 325 languages were recorded in India.
- Medium : About 18 in every 100 people on Earth are Indian.
- Exam-type : About what fraction is 18 percent? Answer: roughly one sixth.
Rule 2: What causes diversity — Differences in geography (mountains, coast, desert), climate and history gave rise to different food, dress and festivals. Centuries of exchange also created new things.
- Easy : Fish is eaten more in coastal areas.
- Medium : Woollen clothes are popular in cold regions.
- Exam-type : Give a geographical cause of diversity. Answer: climate or terrain.
Diversity is not a problem; it is India's identity.
Thinking India has one language or script. Remember: 325 languages and 25 scripts.
4,635 — 325 — 25 — 18%. Memory clue : "Communities, languages, scripts, population".
Spot the difference
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity | A range of differences | Language, dress, festivals |
| Community | Group with shared traditions | 4,635 recorded |
| Script | A system of writing | Devanagari, Tamil, Bengali |
| People of India | Study project of communities | 4,635 communities |
Practice questions
- 1How many communities were recorded?
- 2State the number of languages and scripts.
- 3About how big is India's population?
- 4What percent of the world lives in India?
- 5What is diversity?
- 6Give two causes of diversity.
- 7How do you think people of different backgrounds live together?
- 8How can we show every sixth person is Indian?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 14,635.
- 2325 languages and 25 scripts.
- 3About 1.4 billion.
- 4About 18 percent.
- 5Differences in language, dress, food, festivals etc.
- 6Geography, climate and history.
- 7Through mutual respect, joining festivals and talking with each other.
- 818 percent ≈ 18 ÷ 100 ≈ 1 ÷ 5.5, about one sixth.
Food, dress and festivals
What is in your lunch box and on festival days comes from your region's tradition.
Main grains (rice, wheat, jowar, bajra) and spices differ by region, yet many things are shared. The sari is an unstitched cloth draped in many ways. Makara Sankrānti is celebrated across the country under different names.
In the figure : Diversity and unity in food, dress and festivals.
Rule 1: The sari and Indian dress — The sari is unstitched cloth that can be draped in many ways and used for many purposes. In the 17th century England and France banned Indian printed cloth called chintz because it had become so popular. This shows the world demand for Indian cloth.
- Easy : The sari is an unstitched cloth.
- Medium : Chintz was printed Indian cloth.
- Exam-type : Why did England ban chintz? Answer: it was so popular that local cloth makers felt threatened.
Rule 2: Festivals and food — Makara Sankrānti is Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam and Uttarayan in Gujarat; the joy of the Sun's northward journey and the harvest is common. Rice, wheat, millets, pulses and spices are used almost everywhere.
- Easy : Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu.
- Medium : Lohri is a Punjab festival.
- Exam-type : What is the common feeling of Sankrānti? Answer: harvest joy and respect for the Sun.
Names differ, the spirit is one.
Thinking Sankrānti is only one state's festival. It is celebrated everywhere under different names.
Sankrānti = Lohri, Pongal, Bihu, Uttarayan. Memory clue : "L-P-B-U".
Spot the difference
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sari | Unstitched cloth | Many drapes |
| Chintz | Printed Indian cloth | Banned in 17th century |
| Makara Sankrānti | Festival of the Sun's northward path | Pongal, Lohri, Bihu |
| Harvest | Gathering the crop | A reason for festivals |
Practice questions
- 1What is a sari?
- 2What is chintz?
- 3By what name is Sankrānti known in Punjab?
- 4The Sankrānti festival of Tamil Nadu?
- 5Name two grains used almost everywhere.
- 6What two things are celebrated at Sankrānti?
- 7What does the chintz ban show?
- 8What do shared feelings in festivals say about unity?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1An unstitched cloth that can be draped in many ways.
- 2Printed Indian cloth.
- 3Lohri.
- 4Pongal.
- 5Rice and wheat (also jowar and bajra).
- 6The Sun's northward journey and the harvest.
- 7Indian cloth had huge world demand.
- 8Names and customs differ, but feelings and values are alike, which shows unity.
Epics, the Pañchatantra and unity in diversity
The same story is told by grandmother, teacher and friend in different ways; the same is true of the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata.
The Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata are told in many languages, folk and tribal forms, in India and abroad. The Pañchatantra is at least 2,200 years old with about 200 adaptations in over 50 languages. Unity in diversity is a unity that celebrates differences.
In the figure : Stories and epics: many forms, one spirit.
Rule 1: The epics and the Pañchatantra — The Mahābhārata runs to about 7,000 pages. There are folk and tribal versions of both epics; in the Nilgiris the "Pañcha Pāṇḍavar" stones are worshipped. Pañchatantra animal tales teach conduct and cleverness and travelled beyond Asia too.
- Easy : The Mahābhārata is a very large epic.
- Medium : The Pañchatantra has animal stories.
- Exam-type : What is special about the Pañchatantra? Answer: adaptations in many languages and moral tales.
Rule 2: Unity in diversity — Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in The Discovery of India about the deep hold the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata have on people's minds. Unity does not mean everyone being alike; it means respecting differences and living and working together.
- Easy : Unity does not mean sameness.
- Medium : We can join others' festivals too.
- Exam-type : Give an example. Answer: pupils of all faiths and languages study in one school.
Pañchatantra = 2,200+ years, 200 adaptations, 50+ languages.
Thinking each epic has one version. There are many.
Unity = together with differences. Memory clue : "Unity is not sameness".
Spot the difference
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Epic | Long poem of heroic tales | Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata |
| Pañchatantra | Collection of animal fables | About 200 adaptations |
| Tribal version | Tribes' own versions of a tale | Pañcha Pāṇḍavar |
| Unity in diversity | Together while respecting differences | A hallmark of India |
Practice questions
- 1Name the two Indian epics.
- 2How old is the Pañchatantra?
- 3How many adaptations of it exist?
- 4How many pages is the Mahābhārata?
- 5Where are the "Pañcha Pāṇḍavar" stones worshipped?
- 6What is unity in diversity?
- 7What do many versions of the epics show?
- 8Suggest two activities that build unity in your school.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata.
- 2At least 2,200 years.
- 3About 200.
- 4About 7,000.
- 5In the Nilgiris.
- 6Living together respecting differences.
- 7People adopted the story in their own culture.
- 8Celebrating all festivals together; performing songs in different languages.