The Indian Culture

All different countries have different ways of living, whether it is what language they speak or what clothes they wear. The Indian culture has some similarities but is mostly different than how our culture here is in America. As we do people in India have their dominant religions that they practice. Hinduism is the most popular religion in India and makes up about 80% of Indians. There are also two other religions which are Buddhism and Jainism that are practiced. Only around 0.5% of Indians are Jains and 0.7% is Buddhist. These three religions have been around India since BC and make up the Indian religions. To go along with different religions there are also different languages that are spoken by Indians. The Hindi language makes up of about 20% of the people in India and is the most popular of all the languages spoken in India. English is also spoken in most of the regions in India. ("Popular Indian language," ) Different states in India have different languages and some states have more than one official language. Bihar which is in east India has three official languages Hindi, Urdu and Bengali. Sikkim has four official languages but only Nepali is recognized by the central government ("Popular Indian language," ) The Central government decided that Hindi was to be the official language of India to not get confused with the 18 other languages that are spoken in India. In India there are certain ways that people eat and drink and also there are different foods eaten as well. In Indian homes people should always politely turn down the first offer of tea, coffee, or snacks. You will be asked again but saying no the first time is part of the protocol ("India - language,,).Different religions have different takes on food for example, Hindus do not eat beef and many are vegetarians, Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol and Sikhs do not eat beef. Lamb, chicken, and fish are the most commonly served main courses to avoid the meat restrictions of all the religion groups (India - language,,).Many Indian foods are eaten with fingers and they are usually waited to be told when to sit. Also leaving a small amount of food on your plate shows that you are still satisfied and finishing means that you are still hungry. There are also rules when it comes to clothing. Women should usually avoid short