“WELCOME TO THE HEART CULTURAL HERITAGE”

The north Indian region presents a varied geographical distribution. The region starts in the northernmost Himalayas having subzero temperatures for most of the time around the year, Jammu and Kashmir, followed by 2 other hilly states of Himachal and Uttarakhand.

This is followed by the large Ganges plains of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The desert state of Rajasthan and the ecologically rich Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The capital of the subcontinent, Delhi also is an integral part of north India where people from various regions coexist.

Cultures and Traditions :

The cultures and traditions of any region are influenced by the beliefs, value systems, lifestyle, art forms, climate, and socioeconomic conditions of that area, the northern region has always been rich in culture, which has evolved over time, incorporating newer traditions while preserving the old ones.

The north Indian region due to its connection with central Asia from Sindh and Baluchistan has been invaded multiple times by the Aryans, Afghans, Mongols, Huns, and Greeks, and this reflects in the culture. The region is a mix of different cultures and religions which coexist with harmony, acceptance, and respect for every religion.

Brahmins, Jats, Rajputs, and Dalits are some of the Hindu castes that live in the north. Religions like Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam are practiced here, Hindus being the majority.

Language and Dialects :

While Hindi, Punjabi, and Kashmiri are the most commonly spoken languages of north India, this region boasts multiples languages and dialects being spoken such as Dogri, Kangri, Kinnauri, Urdu, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Bundeli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji, Garhwali, Jaunsari, Hindko, Pothowari, Shahpuri, Rachnavi, Majhi, Thali, Thalochri.

The region is a mix of soft-spoken and empathetic dialects and stern and rough-sounding dialects from some regions of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The mother of all these languages is Sanskrit which has its origins in 1200-1700 B.C.E. With the coming of the Mughals, Persian and Arabic mixed with local languages here in the north to make Urdu

English is now widely spoken and understood in various urban as well as rural regions.

Dance and Musical Artforms :

The dance forms in the north range from slow and enigmatic movements of ghoomar to swift and energetic movements of bhangra.

The dance forms practiced in Punjab are bhangra (Men) and Giddha(Women).

In Himachal, the dance forms are Kayang, Bakayang, Bnayangchu, Jataru Kayang, Chohara, Shand and Shabu, Lang-dar-ma, Nati

In Rajasthan, Ghoomar and Kaalbeliya are famous dance forms.

The dance forms have a traditional attire suited for the purpose and occasion and suitable makeup and props are used. The fire dance acts performed in Rajasthan are also famous.

Hindustani classical music or the Shastriya sangeet is north Indian music. Musical instruments such as sitar, table, dholak, flute, manjire, sarod, sarangi, etc. are used for composition.

Some of the famous musicians from the northern region are DV Paluskar, Faiyyaz Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Malikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Jasraj, Rashid Khan, and Girja Devi.

The music comprises seven svar, sur, taal, Raag, and sruti. The musical and dance performances of the north have gained popularity in the west too, such as the bhangra and giddha because of their highly energetic movements and peppy beats.

The music industry in the state of Punjab has gained popularity over the years, nationwide as well as across the globe.

Cuisine :

The cuisine is mainly vegetarian in the region with the exception of Jammu and Kashmir where non-vegetarian foods are greatly relished and enjoyed. Wheat being the main cereal of the region, a lot of food items like breads (paranthe, bhature, naan, etc.) and sweet dishes (Gulab jamun, jalebi, etc.) are prepared from it. Millets and Rice are also a part of the cuisine

The influence of foreign invasions is evident in the Mughlai cuisine which is till date prepared with the standards and procedures adopted by the Mughals in India.

Rajasthan is famous for its daal-baati-churma, pyaaz kachori, ghewar, etc.

Some of the other famous delicacies of this region are – Makke di roti sarso da saag, choley bhature, Rajma chawal, Paneer dishes, daal makhni, etc.

While some must-try sweet dishes are – Gajar and moong halwa, jalebi, Kheer, milk cakes, etc.

Costumes and Attires :

A lot of variation in the clothing style and material is seen in the region when it comes to traditional attires, however, in the current scenario a widely adopted dress for routine lifestyle is the Salwar Kurta or the saree for women and Kurta -pyjama/dhoti for men.

The traditional dress in Punjab is kurta pyjama for men with a turban worn by the Sikhs and the women wear salwar kameez with a famous accessory called the parranda. The Sikh men wear certain weapons of defence which are seamlessly incorporated in their dress and turban.

The traditional dress in Rajasthan is ghagra, leheriya for women while men wear a turban as a sign of honour and respect.

The people of Himachal and Uttarakhand wear a typical headgear called topi to protect from cold in the hilly regions.

Festivals :

The festivals in the north which are celebrated all over are Deepawali, Dusshera, and Holi

Deepawali is the festival of lights and Holi, is the festival of colors.

While some region-specific festivals are Lohri and Baisakhi in the Punjab province. Teej and Gangaur in Rajasthan attract a lot of foreign tourists due to the extravagant processions during the celebrations. Makar Sankranti, in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, is the famous kite festival. Kullu Dusshera is a famous festival of Himachal Pradesh where the entire city of Kullu sparkles with lights and the festival goes on for 7 days.

The Chath pooja and Janmasthmi are celebrated with great pomp and joy in Uttar Pradesh.