India Culture is Rich and Colorful

India Culture is deeply rooted in colorful traditions that date back to the beginning of human civilization. This time period is referred to as ancient India culture. It was during this period and the birth of the of Indus Valley Civilization, or Harappan Civilization , that the the oldest living religion was born, as were many of the traditions, ceremonies and rituals, dance and other important aspects of the Indian culture.

It seems that the people of India have found ways to incorporate rich and beautiful color into all aspects of life. You'll find unique colors in beautiful rugs, paintings, clothing, textiles, architecture, food, and in the Indian flag.

It's truly amazing just how much more color you'll find even in a traditional Indian wedding in comparison to a traditional wedding in the United States! My wife and I were married in the city of Ahmadabad, in the Gujarat state of India .


In this region, colorful and sometimes bejeweled dresses called Saris are traditionally worn in place of the white gowns that are typically worn in weddings of the United States. Brides also sport jingling bracelets, called bangles, and often wear breath-taking gold jewelery sets.

Here, Chandani displays her traditional Gujarat wedding sari, bangles and jewelery that she wore at our wedding.

Traditionally, men don't wear tuxedos in India. Instead, they wear long shimmering coats, silken pants, and sometimes even a turban. Of course, India is a very large country, and wedding outfits and customs differ based on region and a wedding budget. Regardless, you can certainly expect to see color in any traditional Indian wedding!

Traditions in India include ancient the rituals, ceremonies, a social structure based on the importance of Indian family culture . Family is considered to be the most important institution in Indian Culture. Family can have a powerful influence over choices made by an individual family member, and even of their respective communities.

India Culture is amazing because its original core values have never really changed. It's as if there has been no real outside influence to a country that was controlled by the British for nearly 200 years!

Once you visit, you understand why. The people are very proud of their cultural values, and outside influence has generally been avoided because western cultural values are very different from those considered proper in traditional Indian culture.

Our aunt holds a coconut in a vase for a pre-wedding ritual.

However, in Indian Culture today, the younger generation has showed increasing interest in western culture and has adopted many western ideas as their own. Older generations stress the importance of traditional values. This has created a struggle between both generations to try and find common ground.


A fun congo line style dance at our Garba Ceremony, prior to our wedding.

One thing that has stayed the same is the fact that festivals, celebrations and rituals are fundamental to India's culture and lifestyle. Festivals include holidays like Diwali and traditional celebrations like Garba. Celebrations in India are often related to coming of age milestones like weddings and delicious Indian Food is often the centerpiece of these cultural events. Food plays an important role in India Culture because it represents the family, and community, connecting and sharing socially.

Travel to India