All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Glimpses of Indian Culture outside India

Whatever place / region of our country we visit, we have a perception or feeling of oneness with the place in terms of social, cultural and religious traditions. But when we go abroad, we develop a feeling of otherness because the social and cultural traditions there are different. Neither there is love and affection of our near and dear ones nor cooperation.

Therefore, the world outside India appears to be alien. However, there are some countries in the world where we feel homely as their language, culture, food, customs and religious traditions match very well with India. In fact, the Indians who migrated to these countries many centuries ago were the torch-bearers of Indian culture to these lands. They created a new India outside its territorial boundaries. Let us get acquainted, in brief, with the story of such countries.

1. Mauritius - It is a small Island located near the Southeastern Coast of Africa. But it appears as if it were a part of India. It remained under the French hegemony for a long time. During the period when there was an ongoing battle between the British and the French in India, in order to make their position better, the British had an eye on Mauritius. So, they attacked it and snatched it from the French. They got settled many Indians on this Island. These were the people who helped in establishing the predominance of Indian culture in the region.

When the Indians landed on this island about two centuries ago, they called it the ‘Land of Mareech’. At that time the Indians did not have the freedom to express themselves in their own language. They were even stopped from singing folk songs and reciting the Ramayana. This was a move to prevent any incidence of revolt. But in spite of so many temptations and restrictions, Indians secretly maintained their bond with their language, culture and religion.

In this Island Nation, the reverberations of Ramayana strengthen the faith of Indians, while the Chaupais (verses) of the Ramcharit Manas provide the life giving elixir to the afflicted. Here, not only the villages and streets have been named on Indian subjects, but even the theatres, shops and buses have been given Indian names like Nalanda, Takshashila, Ashoka, Suryavanshi, etc. Houses are also constructed according to the Indian science of Vastu. During his visit to Mauritius, author Mark Twain said - ‘God must have created Mauritius earlier and then heaven as its replica.’ Even today, in Mauritius the courtyards of the houses of people of Indian origin have a plinth of Lord Hanuman and red flags symbolizing the triumph of the ideals and values of our culture. The glimpse of Indian Culture can also be found in the lifestyle of the native population.

2. Fiji - After Mauritius, Fiji is the only other country in the world in which the people of Indian origin have been able to reach the highest post (Prime Minister) of their democratic setup. About 38% of the total population of the area comes from the Indian community. Recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and performance of Aarti are common of the Indian households in the region. The most important Indian festival of Deepavali is also celebrated with great faith and dedication. This occasion is considered significant not only from religious perspective, but also as a symbol of communal harmony.

In this country, a large number of schools follow the Indian methods of teaching. Many spiritual and social organizations of India also have branches in this region. Various Samskaras (sacraments) of Indian Culture are carried out in accordance with the Vedic procedures.

3. Thailand - About 95% population of this nation is the follower of Buddhism. The Buddhist temples in the region, which are over eighteen thousand in numbers, are uniquely marvelous. The temples are known as ‘Wat’ in the regional language. The Hinayana branch of Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand. Compassion is considered as the most important duty in Buddhism and deep imprint of this virtue can be clearly seen in the life of Thai people. Besides this, many things related to the Ramayana, Lord Rama and Rama Leela could be found here. The inhabitants of Thailand firmly believe that many events of the Ramayana took place in their country.

There is a city named Ayodhya, while another one is named as Luv Puri (Lopburi) on the name of Luv, the elder son of Lord Rama. Moreover, here is a river named Sarayu, which flows near the city of Ayodhya; and in this way, the culture of Ramayana is widely prevalent in the life stream of Thailand. The region also has its regional version of Ramayana, which is known as Ramakien. This epic was composed by King Rama I. It is noteworthy that his descendants are the present Monarchs of Thailand.

4. Cambodia - Angkor Wat, the largest temple of Lord Vishnu in the world is located in Cambodia. Its construction was begun by the Suryavarman II, the Emperor of the Angkor dynasty between 1113 and 1150. The responsibility of renovation, maintenance and management of this temple lies with the Archaeological Survey of India. Millions of visitors visit this temple every year from across the globe. The Hindu ruling dynasty was established in Cambodia in the 2nd century AD. Lord Rama is the hero of the native culture. Therefore, many events from the Ramayana have been beautifully engraved on the temple walls. The Ramayana of Cambodia is titled ‘Reamker’.

5. Nepal - India’s neighbor, Nepal, has deep roots of Indian culture and spirituality. On visiting various places in this country, one feels as if he is in a village or city of India. Pashupatinath Temple, a Hindu shrine, is located here on the banks of Bagmati River. The precious Rudraksha beads obtained from the region are considered sacred throughout the world. There are numerous centers of faith and devotion of the Indians in Nepal. The glimpses of all the festivals and traditions observed in India could be clearly found in this country. It is the sole Hindu nation in the world and all the administrative proceedings are carried out according to the Vikram Samvat. Even New Year is celebrated here with the change in the year of Vikram Samvat.

6. Indonesia - Among the countries located close to India, the Bali Island of Indonesia has the fragrance of Indian Culture. The culture of this historic island attracts tourists from the entire globe. It is believed that Sage Markandeya laid the foundation of Indian culture in the region. Every village on this Island has three temples, which are dedicated to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva respectively. The date of inception of these temples is celebrated with pomp and festivity. Sanskrit mantras are chanted during marriages and other august occasions and no auspicious work can be performed without them.

The idols of Lord Hanuman, Rama and Ganesha could be found throughout the island of Bali. The lower parts of these images are covered with clothes consisting of black and white checks, which are the symbols of malice and nobility respectively. Idols depicting various events from the battle of Mahabharata are placed at various places on the national highways. The people of Bali have an intense desire to visit Kurukshetra, the battlefield of Mahabharata. Moreover, these people give special significance to bathing in the sacred Ganges and visiting the temple of Lord Shiva.

7. Guyana - The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which is located on the northern mainland of South America, is also known for Indian culture and its ideals. 33 % of its population is constituted by the People of Indian Origin. Various Indian festivals are celebrated with devotion and according to the Indian calendar. Deepavali, our most important festival is a national holiday in this country. 8. Malaysia - The Indian community living here shares a deep cultural bond with the story of Lord Rama. Ramayana is a powerful medium of entertainment and inspiration to the life stream of this country. The various events of the Ramayana are staged through puppets at night, in which the people of Indian Origin participate with their entire families.

In Malaysia, Ramayana is known as Hikayat Seri Rama. The Hindu community constitutes about eight percent of the native population, in which the greatest proportion comes from South India. Due to this reason, the rituals and traditions of South India have a clear impact on all the festivals celebrated here. The greatest number of temples is dedicated to Karthikeyan, the son of Lord Shiva. There is a national holiday on the occasion of Deepavali; and on this day, the elder members of the community visit from home to home to give gifts and their blessings to the younger generation.

9. Sri Lanka - India has a bond with Sri Lanka since the period of the Puranas. The battle fought between Lord Rama and Ravana has been the basis of our relations with Lanka. Teachings of Buddhism have been widely disseminated on this Island. The imprints of Indian culture could be clearly found in every city and region of Sri Lanka. When Swami Vivekananda was returning from Chicago after participating in the World Parliament of Religions, his ship first reached Colombo and he addressed this land as ‘the land of India’.

10. Suriname - Suriname is located in South America, which is considered by its inhabitants as an indispensable part of India. It is a belief that this country has been named after the Indian deity, Surya (the Sun God). Numerous Indian temples are located in Suriname; and worshipping the deities is an important part of their daily routine. A special department has also been established for disseminating Indian culture in this country. In this way, the reach of Indian culture is not only confined to our country, but even extends to various other countries where it is growing constantly. Though, the western culture is overshadowing the glory of our culture in our nation, in the foreign lands people still have great respect for it.

This is because this culture has been meticulously developed and nurtured.