Religion is intimately intertwined with every facet of Indian life. Despite a secular democracy, it is one of the few countries on earth where the social and religious structures that define national identity remain intact. And so they have been for at least four thousand years, despite invasions, persecutions, European colonialism and political upheaval. With modern technology increasingly infiltrating the fabric of society, changes are inevitable, but rural India remains much the same as it has been for thousands of years. Social and religious institutions are so strong that they have absorbed, ignored or rejected all attempts at destruction or radical change.

HINDUISM  – Hinduism is practiced by about 80 percent of the population. In terms of number of adherents, it is the most widespread religion in Asia and one of the oldest in the world. It is based on a vast pantheon of gods and several sacred books, and asserts that each person experiences a series of births or reincarnations that ultimately lead to spiritual salvation. With each birth, a person moves closer to or further away from enlightenment; the decisive factor is one's karma. Hinduism has three basic practices: puja (or worship), cremation of the dead, and the rules and regulations of the caste system. It is a religion that does not consider proselytizing, since it is not possible to convert to it: you are either born a Hindu or you are not born.

BUDDHISM  – was founded in northern India around 500 BC, and spread rapidly when the Emperor Asoka adopted it, but was gradually reabsorbed into Hinduism. Today, Hindus regard Buddha as another reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. There are now only 6.6 million Buddhists in India, although Buddhist enclaves in the north of the country, such as Bodhgaya, Sarnath (near Benares) and Kushinagar (near Gorakhpur) remain important pilgrimage centres.

JAINISM  – The Jain religion also emerged as an attempt to reform Brahmanic Hinduism, at the same time as Buddhism and for much the same reasons. Jains currently number about 4.5 million and are found mainly in the western and southwestern parts of the country. The religion has never found any outside followers. They believe that the universe is infinite and was not created by any deity. They also believe in reincarnation and in possible spiritual salvation by following the path of the prophets.

ISLAM  – There are more than 160 million Muslims in India, making it one of the largest Muslim nations in the world. Islam is the predominant religion in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh, and there is a Muslim majority in Jammu and Kashmir. Muslim influence is reflected most notably in architecture, art and cuisine.

SIKHISM  – There are 18 million Sikhs in India, living mainly in Punjab. The religion was originally intended to unite the best of Hinduism and Islam, and its basic principles are similar to those of Hinduism, with the important difference that it opposes the caste system. The most important shrine of this religion is the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

LANGUAGES  – India is the most Babel-like place on earth. There is no common Indian language, which is why English is still spoken in part throughout the country almost half a century after the British abandoned it. Eighteen languages ​​are officially recognised by the constitution, but more than 1,600 minor languages ​​and dialects were recorded in the 1991 census. The language issue is highly politicised, due in large part to the fact that many state boundaries have often been drawn along linguistic lines. Despite major initiatives to establish Hindi as the nation’s official language, to the progressive detriment of English, these efforts have been hampered by the predominance of Dravidian languages ​​in the south of the country, far removed from the Hindi spoken in the north. The upper classes of Indian society continue to speak English as the shared language of the educated elite, holding it up as an emblem of their social standing and as a passport to the world of international business. Although, in truth, only about 3 percent of Indian citizens actually master the language.

ART  – Indian art is fundamentally religious in its subject matter and development, and to appreciate it requires a minimum of basic knowledge of the beliefs held in the country. Its most notable expressions include classical Indian dance, the architecture and sculpture of Hindu temples (disciplines sometimes difficult to differentiate in these temples), the military and urban architecture of the Mughal Empire, miniature paintings, and the fascinating Indian music. The latter may be difficult for foreigners to understand, as it ignores the concept of harmony expressed in Western terms, but it is worth not being discouraged by this difference.

BOLLYWOOD  – Indians love cinema. The Indian film industry, centred in Bombay, is one of the largest and most fascinating in the world, but a huge number of the films produced there are melodramas based on three vital ingredients: romance, violence and music. A visitor will know what to expect from the fantastically hand-painted posters that dominate many streets. To get a rough idea of ​​the content of Indian films, just imagine a cross between Rambo, The Sound of Music and a Cecil B. De Mille biblical epic. It is pure popular escapism, very hard on the ear, but not to be missed by any visitor.