User:Fowler&fowler/Comments on the India page Culture section

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Culture


India's culture is marked by a high degree{mild POV} of syncretism {A journal paper is too specialized a source for such a general statement; a textbook is better} and cultural pluralism. {Again: a textbook is better source} It has managed to preserve established traditions while absorbing new customs,{This is too general. It would also apply to the cultures of Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, ... to name some SE Asian nations. Good idea to instantiate or contextualize it in a statement like: "At least from the time of the invasion of Alexander of Macedon, when the hybrid school of Greco-Buddhist art arose in India in response to Greek influences, India has managed to both preserve established traditions and absorb new ones, ... Obviously this is an example (and likely incorrect), but it has the right form."} traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants; multicultural concerns have long informed India’s history and traditions, constitution and political arrangements. Many Indian cultural practices, languages, customs, and monuments are influenced by this co-mingling over centuries.{Too general: needs some instantiation within sentence; I do understand that it's the summary style, but even so.}

Notable architectural creations, such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Mughal architecture, examples of Dravidian architecture are the result of traditions that combined elements from several parts of the country and abroad.{What are the foreign influences in Drav. arch.?} The vernacular architecture displays notable regional variation.{Needs instantiation within sentence}

Indian music is highly diversified.{Too tautological} Classical music is mainly split between the North Indian Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic traditions.{Needs instantiation within sentence} Highly regionalised forms of popular music include filmi and folk music like bhangra. Many classical dance forms exist, including bharatanatyam, kathakali, kathak, kuchipudi, manipuri, odissi and yakshagana.{The opposite problem: too listy, without theme} They often have a narrative form and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.{Needs clarification; instantiation}

The earliest literary traditions in India were oral and were only later transcribed. Most of these were in the form of Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana; Sangam literature, dating back to 200 BCE, represent the earliest writings in Tamil. {Was Sangam oral? If so, belongs to previous sentence} Among many notable Indian writers of the modern era, using both Indian languages and English, Rabindranath Tagore is perhaps the most famous.{Needs a textbook or tertiary source}

The Indian film industry is the world's largest producer of feature films with Mumbai-based "Bollywood," which produces commercial Hindi films as its most recognisable face. Other strong cinema industries are based on the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi languages.{Too listy: needs some interesting example; some famous movie, such as Pather Panchali}

Indian cuisine is diverse, as ingredients and cooking methods vary from region to region.{Too general; needs add on like "the tandoori chicken and the dosa are but two examples of this." } The staple foods in the region are rice (especially in the south and the east) and wheat (predominantly in the north). A number of spices are commonly used in cooking and the country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. {Need better source such as the ones I provide below; I'm happy to provide page number and quote.}{Should be a sentence or two about the foods or items of culture that originated in India and spread to the rest of the world: chicken, sugar, oranges, cotton, diamonds, black pepper}{OK, diamonds didn't spread, but until the 18th century, India (Golconda) was the only source of diamonds in the world.}{Another statement about "imported" items that are now wildly popular in India: chili peppers (Mexico), potatoes (Peru), cashews (Brazil). I am happy to provide references for these too, if needed.}

Traditional Indian dress greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles and depends on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include the sari for women and the lungi or dhoti for men.{List needs to be expanded.}{Needs an acknowledgment that stitched clothes were introduced into Indian culture by Muslims and later by Europeans.}

India's national sport is field hockey, even though cricket is the most popular sport. In some states, particularly those in the northeast and the coastal states of West Bengal, Goa, and Kerala, football is also a popular sport. In recent times, tennis has also gained popularity. Chess, commonly held to have originated in India, is also gaining popularity with the rise of the number of recognized Indian grandmasters.{Needs a source; also, the new world champion could be mentioned here.} Traditional sports include kabaddi, kho-kho, and gilli-danda, which are played nationwide.{Are they really? Kabaddi in Sikkim?} India is home to the age-old discipline of yoga and to the ancient martial arts, Kalarippayattu and Varma Kalai.{Too listy without attendant glue}

Indian festivals come in a vast variety; many are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed.{Needs rephrasing; don't know how many people outside South Asia would know meaning of "caste and creed." "Creed" these days is used to mean "personal/group philosophy"} The most popular holidays are Diwali, Holi, Onam, Dussehra, Bihu, Durga puja, the two Eids, Christmas, Ugadi, and Vaisakhi. {Too listy} India has three national holidays.{Should be a part of the previous sentence or the next} Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in the individual states.{Why is this needed?} Religious practices are an integral part of everyday life and are a very public affair.{Needs instantiation} Traditional Indian family values are highly respected,{Needs clarification, as it seems to be implying that nuclear families are less likely to have "traditional Indian family values"} although urban families now prefer a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.