Indianness
South Asian essence
Indianness is the quality of being Indian—possessing characteristics associated with India, its culture, or its people.
The term appears in discussions of cultural identity, authenticity, and what defines someone or something as genuinely Indian: The film was criticized for its superficial Indianness.
It can refer to aesthetic qualities, cultural practices, or a sense of national or ethnic belonging.
Spiritual cause and effect
- dharmaCosmic moral order
- yogaMind-body exercise discipline
- meditationFocused attention practice
- mokshaRelease from rebirth cycle
vedanta · guru · mantra · chakra · ahimsa · puja · reincarnation · atman
Wrapped South Asian dress
- curryAromatic South Asian dish
- cricketChirping legged insect
- kathakNorth Indian classical dance
- bhangraPunjabi folk music and dance
bindi · mehndi · samosa · chai · rickshaw · namaste · tabla · sitar
Coexistence of differing views
- languagesSystems of human communication
- dialectsRegional language variations
- ethnicitiesGroups sharing cultural heritage
- regionalismLocal area favoritism
caste · tribes · secularism · coexistence · federalism · states · north-south · multilingual
karma
Spiritual cause and effect
- dharmaCosmic moral order
- yogaMind-body exercise discipline
- meditationFocused attention practice
moksha · vedanta · guru · mantra · chakra · ahimsa · puja · reincarnation · atman · ashram
sari
Wrapped South Asian dress
bhangra · bindi · mehndi · samosa · chai · rickshaw · namaste · tabla · sitar · thali
pluralism
Coexistence of differing views
- languagesSystems of human communication
- dialectsRegional language variations
- ethnicitiesGroups sharing cultural heritage
regionalism · caste · tribes · secularism · coexistence · federalism · states · north-south · multilingual · partition
colorful
Full of varied hues
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
- spicesAromatic food flavorings
- bazaarsBusy outdoor trading areas
chaat · handicrafts · textiles · jewelry · paintings · silk · embroidery · markets · crowds · chaos
monuments
Structures commemorating notable achievements
epics · manuscripts · civilization · palaces · temples · forts · chola · stepwells · caves · antiquity
Indiannessforeignness
Quality of being unfamiliar
Westernness · Americanness · Britishness · otherness · cosmopolitanism
IndiannessWesternization
Adopting Western cultural practices
cultural alienation · anglicization · deracination · globalization · cultural erasure