Religion in India
Hinduism is the largest religion in India representing about 79.8% of the country's population. India represents 94% of the global Hindu population. Nearly two-thirds of Indian Hindus say Hinduism is integral to their Indian identity and can be understood as a way of life. An individual observing Hinduism should pursue what is good, in proper pursuit of one's karma. Hindus seek to move closer to realizing the divine in one’s self. The physical world in which one lives currently is simply an illusion and one must seek to be rejoined to the central home, becoming one with Brahman, the creator (Mark, 2020). Earthly pleasures are void, and according to Hindu beliefs, detachment from the physical work and the pursuit of the eternal is central.
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There are three primary deities most worshipped including Shiva the destroyer, Vishnu the preserver, and Brahma the creator, signifying the belief of the birth and rebirth cycle. Karma, the idea that deeds create outcomes, shapes the view of Hindus' view of health, death, and dying as it represents suffering arising from poor karma. The Hindu belief also directly relates to the caste system where the fundamental structure of the religion directly places individuals into the branches of the caste system (History.com, 2017). In Hindu religion, cows are considered sacred with great respect being paid to most living creatures. Most Hindus do not eat beef or pork and observe a vegetarian diet. Hindu worship typically takes place in a temple with pilgrimages to temples and sacred sites being engaged annually as part of the faith. Offerings serve an important part of worship and are a common practice among those who practice.
Hinduism is the valued religion in India, and its practices are frequently engaged in and upheld (History.com, 2017). With Christianity being in the large minority, individuals who practice Christianity have largely been oppressed due to their belief in one single God. Christianity does not depend on outward deeds and practices but relies solely on the belief in the God that came and died for their sins and nothing done on earth could overturn this unbreakable love Christ guarantees his people.
Cultural Traditions and hoLidays
Indian culture celebrates two major holidays: Diwali and Holi.
Diwali — or the Festival of Lights is a major Hindu holiday celebrated in Indian culture and is observed by about 80% of the country (Webster University Library, 2021). This holiday falls between mid-October and mid-November and varies in traditions by region and group. It is a 5 day celebration of the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Celebration typically includes wearing new clothes, participating in various prayer and worship, exchanging gifts, cleaning the home, lighting oil lamps, large festivals and fireworks (Mahendra, 2017).
Holi — a festival celebrated in the spring known as the Festival of Colors. The holiday falls in late February or early March. This holiday is tied to celebrating the devotion of Lord Krishna who commemorates his love for the beloved consort Radha. Holi is characterized by the practice of playfully throwing colored powder and colored water balloons on family, friends, and strangers (Mahendra, 2017).
Holi Festival
Other Significant Holidays:
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Navratri — This festival celebrates the defeat of Mahishasura by Goddess Durga and signifies the victory of good over evil. On each of the 10 days of Navaratri different avatars of Goddess Durga are worshiped. On the first day, people worship Goddess Shailputri while Goddess Brahmacharini is worshipped on the second day. On the third day, people pay homage to Goddess Chandraghanta; on the fourth day Goddess Kushmanda is worshipped; on the fifth day Goddess Skandamata is worshipped; on the sixth day Goddess Katyayani is worshipped; on the seventh day Goddess Kaalratri is worshipped; on the eighth day Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped and on the last and final day people worship the Goddess Siddhidatri (Times of India, 2019).
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Dussera — Is the 10th and final day of the festival of Navartri and commemorates Lord Rama’s victory over the evil Ravana. This celebration typically falls between late September and early October (Mahendra, 2017).
HOUSING
Today in India, there is an increasing amount of economic and commercial activities sparking rapid economic growth in large Indian cities, causing a decline of affordable housing. With this industrial pressure being put on the urban parts of India, the resulting housing accommodations are resulting in the formation of slums (Gandhi, 2012). India's population of 846 million accounts for 152 million households; 112 million of these are located in rural areas (Sonawat, 2001). In these rural areas, there is a harsh lack of basic human needs including educational, health, and other infra-structural facilities. Nearly half of the poor urban families live in slums (Gandhi, 2012). The urbanization has made affordable housing nearly extinct in the urban area. It is only attainable for the higher caste members. There is a severe failure and shortage of housing opportunities due to the inefficient functioning of land due to the growth of the commercial business in India driving out the housing that is necessary for the majority of Indian residents.
LANGUAGE
India is an incredibly diverse country in culture and language. The latest census reported 121 languages are spoken and 22 are recognized as official languages of India (Chandras, 2020). The most common being Modern Standard Hindi with 528 million speakers. Multilingualism creates difficulties in contemporary India in regard to business function, education, communication via digital, visual, and print media. The linguistic diversity creates communication barriers all across the country (Chandras, 2020).
HEALTHCARE VIEWS
In the current climate in India, there are many challenges that stand in the way of appropriate healthcare for all. Hinduism and others who practice the faith believe that injury and illness are the expression of bad karma. It is not believed that these could be of natural occurrence with the need for medical intervention (History.com, 2017). There are structural and institutional challenges that stand in the way of healthcare for all. The first challenge relates to awareness. Due to possible religion affiliations or other outside factors, the Indian population is uninformed on important issues regarding their own health. Topics such as adolescent female health and geriatric morbidity are undereducated and therefore lack awareness of these prevalent illness and health topics and therefore lack prevention efforts to protect themselves (Kasthuri, 2018). The second challenge is a lack of access in rural areas where the majority of the population lives. Most urban health centres are not accessible to the underprivileged rural Indians. An overwhelming lack of qualified personnel to provide necessary health services in the public sector is an additional challenge. There is an estimated ratio of 20 health workers per 10,000 residents and even lower representation in rural areas (Kasthuri, 2018). The private health sector is not accessible to the masses, and even in efforts to expand their services to those in need, they have failed to promote access. Another barrier to care is cost. As previously stated, there are high amounts of poverty across the country and with nearly 75% of healthcare expenditures coming out-of-pocket it makes access impossible (Kasthuri, 2018). There is an extreme lack of healthcare opportunity and additionally the religious beliefs that surround injury and illness further create barriers to healthcare in India.
Family is the most important institution that has persisted throughout Indian culture. The family unit in India serves as the link between the individual and their community. It is common to see multiple generations of families living together or in close proximity. Indian families largely represent the nuclear family structure and are dominated by a patriarchal structure. Male members of the family make decisions for the rest of the family and are tasked with physical and moral protection. While women are tasked with homemaking responsibilities (Sonawat, 2001).
Marriage is traditionally observed between inter-caste and religiously adjacent individuals and is often forbidden otherwise (Sonawat, 2001). Marriage is valued and sacred and divorce is not widely put into practice. Child-rearing is valued among the family units, especially in an attempt to rear preferably male children. Remaining childless is extremely unfavorable in Indian culture. In Indian culture, the relationship between children is considered temporary, especially for females. Female children experience far less autonomy than their male counterparts. Boys are raised to be strong contributing members of society who will be responsible for growing the larger family unit by building their own family through marriage and child-rearing.
Traditionally, the aging adult continues to live in the multigenerational home, where they have likely lived their entire life. The care of older adults in Indian families primarily falls on members of the family (Sonawat, 2001). The family unit in India is strong, and the focus of the neighborhood and community is ample among this culture.
FAMILY
EDUCATION
The school system in India has four levels. Lower primary (ages 6 to 10), upper primary (11 and 12), high (13 to 15) and higher secondary 17 and 18). All students learn a common curriculum and students are required to learn three languages: Hindi, their mother tongue, and English (Kumar, 2011). India has made positive strides in improving their access to quality education for all genders, although there is still growth to be made as 29% of marginalized children drop out of school before completing their elementary education (Unicef India, n.d.). Over 50% of adolescents will not complete their formal schooling in India, equating to 50 million children not receiving grade appropriate learning curriculum (Unicef India, n.d.). Reform and assistance is greatly needed as there is a lack of emphasis placed on education and resources and knowledge to make the necessary changes. Education is an important factor in need of change for the economic development of the country and as of now there is little emphasis on higher education. Numbers are steadily increasing and the infrastructure is not yet in place to accommodate those pursuing higher education (Sheikh, 2017). Emphasis must be placed on growth opportunities for the higher and lower education sectors to improve the education sector as a whole. Limited education and opportunities for progression limit the avenues for the betterment of self, family, caste, and country.
SOCIOECONOMIC CONCERN
India has relied on a social hierarchy system that has existed in some form for at least 3,000 years. This social hierarchy is passed down through generations and dictates various aspects of the individual's life including their career path, social opportunities, marriage opportunities, and economic status (Pew Research Center, 2020). This system seeks to provide membership to a group in which their belonging derives from one's social identity (Hecker et al., 2017). Caste segregation is prevalent in Indian culture. It affects every aspect of an individual's functioning in society to varying degrees. The majority of Christians tend to be in scheduled caste, meaning they are in the lower tier of society and are disadvantaged on many fronts in Indian culture (Pew Research Center, 2020).
This system is made up of 5 levels including Brahmin, the highest and most powerful group including 4% of the population. Next being the Kshatryia (Other General Category) including 26% of the Indian population. Followed by the Viasya (scheduled caste (25%), and the Sudra (scheduled tribe (9%). Lastly, the lowest caste group being the untouchables (the most backward class) 35% of the population (Pew Research Center, 2020).
The higher castes portray and believe in themselves as possessing higher moral standards and qualities related to wisdom, intelligence, and morality. The lower caste individuals represent stupidity, immorality and many other negative qualities that were tied to the caste title (Hecker et al., 2017).