India: The land of Diversity

The Namaste, or 'namaskar' is one of the five forms of traditional greetings mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. It translates to 'I bow to you', and greeting one another with it is a way of saying 'May our minds meet', indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The word Namaha can also be translated as 'na ma' (not mine), to signify the reductions of one's ego in the presence of the other.

Well, it is not just a hygienic way of greeting someone but even reflects a positive attitude which will initiate more meaningful conversations. The overcoming of our ego is one of the hardest things we can do as a human being but haven’t we at times wondered about a world without our ‘ego’? People would be more empathetic and kind. Let’s you and me together make this world a reality with one step at a time.

In India, there exists the concept of a joint family, wherein the entire family (parents, wife, children and in some cases, relatives) live together. This is mostly because of the cohesive nature of the Indian society, and also reportedly helps in handling pressure and stress. 

This traditional family structure teaches us the importance of living in groups for the very purpose of survival. Looking at it from an evolutionary perspective, even the early men used to hunt together and live together because they understood the importance of surviving in groups. Let’s learn to appreciate and cherish the people we have in our life who care and support us constantly!

In India, the saying 'Atithi Devo Bhava' is very integral. It means 'the guest is equivalent to god'. It is a Sanskrit verse taken from the Hindu scriptures, which later became a part of the 'Code of conduct’ for Hindu society since the guest has always been of supreme importance in the Culture of India.

We have all been a tourist at some point in our life and when someone welcomes us in their house with such a warm attitude, sure our wandering feets feel at home. Going one step further, this spreads the notion of  being kind to strangers because you can never know their story and your single act of kindness could very well make their day. How beautiful it would be to live in a world where everyone is kind to each other! Let’s take the first step by saying ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

India is socially, culturally, and linguistically very diverse. Hindi and English are widely spoken and recognised for official purposes. Other than that, there are 22 scheduled languages recognised by the constitution of India. However, more than 400 languages and dialects in India are still not known. Dialects change even with a few kilometres of travel in the state.

Why must one learn more than one language? 

The benefits of learning more languages are far and wide. It helps your memory, executive functions, delays alzhiemers and dementia, and increases ability to learn more languages. The lesser known advantages of it includes better understanding the culture and having multiple perspectives. Each language you learn brings with it the beliefs and culture associated with it. It widens your thinking and allows you to look at things from various perspectives through the lenses of the languages you have learnt.