Originally posted by: Clochette
I'm not even from India but I know that the bold part is something debatable. There are different perspectives so it may depend on which of these views one favours:
They range from Hinduism (evolved out of Vedic traditions and Sanatana Dharma) being the foundational "way of life" to India being a composite, multicultural society. Undoubtedly, Hindu traditions, philosophy, and epics have deeply influenced the Indian subcontinent, still Indian culture probably is better described as a synthesis or composite of diverse traditions... quasi a 'blended' culture.
I won't dispute that Hinduism is a 'major pillar' of Indian culture for from thousands of years ago till today, but I also would not neglect the influence of tribal traditions, other 'homegrown' religions and foreign cultures (and I mean far older ones than the islamic one - there are cultures even older than the one based on Hinduism). Actually, as far as I know, Hinduism itself is a kind of fusion of the Indus-culture (religions of the Harappa culture) with that of the religions brought by the Aryans (the Vedic texts)... it's a belief system that slowly evolved through ancien times.
Modern times now tend to divide instead of fusing.
Hinduism has incorporated the elements of the supposed tribal culture as you mentioned, the Vedic texts in itself has elements of the Harrapan culture that you mentioned, Hinduism was always about assimilating cultures, not the people of the book ideology with "only I am right attitude" so everything you mentioned here are covered in Hinduism
every feature as you mentioned are a part of Hinduism and hence it is the base of Indic culture
(although, with the c u r r e n t Congress party... well...)
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