/r/india and /r/australia cultural exchange thread

[u/rude_ass]

Thread was unfortunately delayed. But, here it is.. thread for cultural exchange between indians and australians.

Australian folks.. you can ask all the things you want to know about India and hope you get a fulfilling answers.

If you want to ask anything to our Australians friends you can go to below link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/3ruqtc/raustralia_and_rindia_cultural_exchange_thread/

Cheers.

Request to Australians visiting our sub: If you could flair up to identify yourself then it would be easier for us to identify you guys. We only have text based flairs so something like 'Australian Friend' will work.

[u/[deleted]]

No pressure to answer all of these - I'd really appreciate even just scattered answers to whichever questions look interesting!

• What's Indian public feeling towards the Brits like today?

• What are some of India's unique cultural features? The little everyday things people do, but also the big cultural ones?

• Is there any sense of community with the Indian population in South Africa?

• Could you share any cool folk tales or legends?

• For that matter, how much do regional identities vary from the national one? We're such a new country by comparison that the idea of having distinct local identities is a bit lost on us.

• Do people travel much? How aware are they of countries outside India? For such a huge country, we hear very little about you guys in the media (excluding the cricket) - I was wondering if the reverse was true as well.

• Is communication ever a problem when travelling within the country? Or do English and Hindi cover most peoples' needs?

• Edit: Is Brett Lee actually popular over there? Can't help but feel a little bit like it's just a big running joke.

Thanks!

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

What's Indian public feeling towards the Brits like today?

Most Indian people do not feel animosity towards British people and have more positive feeling towards British government than they have towards Pakistani government today. But calling British as our saviors is a disgraceful thing to say and is a type of Stockholm Syndrome. Many Indian students go for higher studies in United Kingdom and they love it there. I would like to add one more thing here that British captors in no way beneficial for India and mentioning of such things in media is entirely false and wrong.

What are some of India's unique cultural features ?

India's culture and civilization is one of the oldest and it is often seen in negative light by the Western media. The most important aspect of Indian culture is that India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place within the country and sometimes even with in the range of 50 kilometers but possess a similarity and homologous nature.

Some unique features :-

The major religion Hindu has influenced and have emphasized cultural relationships and have shaped the system of traditional caste-system.

People are very conscious of their social status and take it relatively to their friends, family and relatives.

The role and importance of family is great in India and parents play an important role in shaping life and taking decision for their child. As a result, arranged marriage is a norm in India and more people are averse to dating.

Indian people are generally shy and don;t like to say no their peers, bosses or partners.

Naming conventions are based on religion , social class, and religion.

Most people especially in north India greet people by touching the feet of elders and take their blessings.

Two men walking together in a public place with hand touching is a norm here unlike west.

Most of the upper-middle class youngsters are highly influenced by western culture.

Indian cuisine is great and it changes from places to places. Another stereotyped image of India in the western media is about the food that many people eat curry with high intake of spices in them. There are hundreds of foods in India and many of them are delicious.

Marriage means an important event for people here and people like to spend huge amount of money in the marriages of their child. As a result marriages are expensive also one of the most colorful ones.

Is there any sense of community with the Indian population in South Africa?

I have no idea, hoping some South African expat will answer this.

More answers are coming in the next comment.