Page 97 - SST Class 04

Unit V : India : Heritage

22 India : Culture

Culture and I

Culture is the mark of our identity. It is expressed in language, dress,
food, festivals and etiquette. The culture of India is rich, long and
diverse. We must take pride in it. Our culture should not be a ground to
hate others’ cultures. ‘Unity in diversity’ is the greatest feature of our
culture. We must respect every culture. We all are Indians first and last.

Religions of India

There are many different religions in our country. Ours is a secular country, that
means that people of all religions are treated as equal.

Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion and tradition of the world. It has continued ever since a
very long time. About 80 percent of the Indian people are Hindus. They believe in one

Supreme God . In addition, they also worship a number of deities, such as Shiva,
Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and others.
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Their sacred books are many, such as the Vedas Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata ,
Geeta etc. They pray in a variety of ways. We can find their temples almost
everywhere.

Islam
Islam is followed by the Muslims. It was founded by Prophet Mohammad . It believes

in one Supreme God or Allah . Their sacred book is the Quran . They offer prayers in a
mosque.

Sikhism

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev . It has a tradition of ten Sikh gurus. Its holy

book is the Guru Granth Sahib . The Sikhs offer prayers in a gurudwara.

India : Culture 97