Cultural Regions of India

What is a Cultural Region?

A Cultural Region refers to a geographical area where the majority of people share common cultural traits—language, religion, food, dress, lifestyle, art, values, customs, or beliefs.
But important to remember—this “commonality” is not absolute; it’s dominant, not exclusive. Even within a cultural region, diversity exists.

🧠 Think of it like this: A “Hindu Cultural Region” doesn’t mean only Hindus live there, just that Hinduism is dominant. Others like Muslims, Buddhists, Christians also live there.

The Basis of Cultural Regions

Cultural geography, as a discipline, identifies these regions by mapping:

• Material Culture (dress, food, housing, etc.)
• Non-Material Culture (values, customs, language, religion)

These patterns may evolve due to:

• Topography (mountains, plains, coasts)
• Climate (arid, tropical, temperate)
• Economic base (agriculture, trade, industry)
• Historical migration and invasion
• Ethnic-linguistic groups

Following is a discussion on Major Cultural regions of India:

1. North Eastern India: A Region of Cultural Complexity

Let’s begin with a popular misconception often made in textbooks and general discourse —
People often label North-East India as a “tribal cultural region”. But this is not entirely accurate, and we’ll understand why.

✅ Cultural Commonalities – A Tribal Core Exists, But…

• Geography and Economy Shape Culture:
  Many communities here still practice Jhum cultivation (slash and burn agriculture).
  Since these are subsistence economies, people do not have regular agricultural surplus or stable income.
  Hence, festivals and marriage ceremonies become community events with smart nutritional planning!
• For example:
  • Fermented liquor, wild edible plants, and mithun meat are saved over time.
  • During celebrations, village women collectively prepare feasts to ensure everyone in the village receives:
    • Sufficient food
    • Diverse nutrients
    • Equal participation in joy

🔍 This shows a collectivist, sustainable cultural model, deeply integrated with ecology and economy.

✅ Internal Diversity – It’s Not a Single Cultural Block

Even though tribal identity is strong, the ethnic, linguistic, and religious composition varies:

• North-East is better termed as a Mixed Cultural Region.
  • Depending on whether the majority in a state is Hindu, Christian, or Tribal, the:
    • Cuisine
    • Marriage customs
    • Music
    • Dance
      All differ significantly.

📌 Example 1: Sikkim

• Two distinct cultural streams:
  • Buddhist Sikkimese (Tibetan cultural influence)
  • Nepali Brahmin/Hindu communities

📌 Example 2: Meghalaya

• Khasi and Garo Tribes follow Matriliny:
  • Inheritance goes to the youngest daughter
  • House named after mother
  • Husband must move into wife’s home (matrilocality)

📌 Example 3: Manipur

• Dominated by Meitei Hindus
  • Patrilineal and patrilocal system
  • Property divided only among sons

📌 Example 4: Nagaland

• Strictly patriarchal
  • Women excluded from inheritance
  • Not allowed in village councils
  • In 2017, massive protests erupted against 33% reservation for women in civic bodies

🧭 Conclusion:

So, is North-East India a single cultural unit?
No. It is a region of cultural mosaics, formed mainly on ethno-linguistic lines.
Cultural variations exist both within and across states.
Hence, neither individual states nor the region as a whole can be called culturally homogeneous.

2. Western India: Culture That Transcends State Borders

Now let’s move westwards — to Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

At first glance, these states look very different. But if you peel the layers, you’ll find strong historical and cultural overlaps, primarily due to:

• Shared linguistic roots (Indo-Aryan family)
• Dominance of Hinduism and Jainism

But still, this region is not culturally uniform either.

✅ Food Habits – Adaptation to Geography

• North Gujarat and Rajasthan:
  • Arid, dry regions → less availability of fresh produce
  • Result? Cuisine rich in grains, pulses, and long-lasting items
    e.g. Daal-Baati, Churma
• South Gujarat and Maharashtra:
  • More rainfall, better agriculture
  • Dishes are fresh, moist, and perishable
    e.g. Khichdi, Khaman-Dhokla, Poha, Misal Paav

✅ Clothing Styles – A Marker of Cultural Distinction

• North Gujarat & Rajasthan:
  • Males wear turbans, kurta, dhoti
• South Gujarat & Maharashtra:
  • Males prefer white Gandhi cap, shirt, pyjama

✅ Non-Material Culture – Values and Festivals

• Rajasthan:
  • Dominated by Kshatriya (warrior) culture
  • High value on honour, valour, and sacrifice
• Gujarat:
  • More of agrarian and trader communities
  • Known for cooperation, non-violence, and business acumen
• Maharashtra & South Gujarat:
  • Strong influence of Ganesh Utsav
• North Gujarat & Rajasthan:
  • More festivals connected to female deities like Durga, Amba Mata

🧭 Conclusion:

Culture in Western India transcends state boundaries, especially in border regions.
You can see blending zones like:

• Northern Gujarat + Rajasthan
• Southern Gujarat + Maharashtra
• Maharashtra + Karnataka

But still, when we zoom out:

• There’s enough internal cultural coherence within each state.
• So, States (not Regions) act as cultural units here:
  • Maharashtrian Culture
  • Gujarati Culture
  • Rajasthani Culture

💡 Therefore, calling “Bombay Presidency” or “Western India” a single cultural region is an oversimplification.

3. South India: States Are Cultural Units, Region Is Not

South India is often seen as one cohesive cultural block. But this again is a popular oversimplification.
Let’s examine this more critically.

South India includes:

• Andhra Pradesh, Telangana – Telugu-speaking
• Tamil Nadu – Tamil
• Karnataka – Kannada
• Kerala – Malayalam

All these languages are from the Dravidian family, but language is only one component of culture. Let’s see why each state is a cultural unit in itself.

✅ Material Culture – Dress & Food

🧵 Dress: Lungi Over Trousers

• South India’s climate: Hot, humid, especially in the coastal and paddy-growing areas.
• Trousers are impractical for such conditions.
• Hence, lungi becomes a functional and cultural garment — part of material culture.

🍛 Food: Beyond Dosa & Sambhar

• Common base ingredients: Rice, coconut, curd, and fish — adapted to agro-climatic setting.
• But vast intra-regional variation exists:
  • Karnataka & Telangana: Also use millets and other coarse grains
  • Coastal regions: Rice & fish dominant
  • Interiors: Less dependence on fish; more pulses & cereals

So, “South Indian food = Dosa-Sambhar” is a Delhi-based myth 😊

✅ Non-Material Culture – Hero Worship & Temple Traditions

🎬 Hero Worship & Cinema Culture

• Rooted in Chola legacy of war & valor:
  • Local chieftains were glorified by bards & poets
  • Gradually became princes → kings through alliances with local elites
• This gave rise to:
  • Hero-worship traditions
  • Fan clubs around cinema heroes
  • Strong connection between cinema, politics, and caste
  • Especially prevalent among dominant agrarian castes (e.g. Vanniyars, Reddys)

⛩️ Temple Culture & Religious Diversity

• Patronage to both Shaivism and Vaishnavism
• Temple architecture, classical music, dance forms (e.g. Bharatanatyam, Kathakali) vary across states
• The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu:
  • Opposed Brahminical dominance
  • Created a non-religious, rationalist strain within Tamil society
  • So, even within Tamil Nadu — no single “Tamil culture” exists

✅ Gender Norms – Matriliny to Machoism

• Kerala (Nairs, Ezhavas, Warriers):
  • Practiced matrilineal inheritance
• Coastal areas of other states:
  • Males often absent (fishing, Gulf migration)
  • Women manage households and property

However —

Just because matriliny exists doesn’t mean women’s safety is guaranteed.

• Andhra Pradesh & Kerala:
  • High alcoholism
  • Issues like machoism, rowdyism, acid attacks
  • As per NCRB-2022, AP had more than 25,000 cases of crimes against women

So, non-material cultural traits can be both empowering and problematic.

✅ Goa – The Outlier

• Portuguese colonial legacy
• Christianity, Western attire, and distinct cuisine
• Doesn’t align with South Indian OR Maharashtrian culture

🧭 Conclusion:

• South Indian states are formed on linguistic lines
• But culture varies within each state
• Still, if we don’t zoom in too microscopically, we can say:
  • Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada cultures exist as distinct cultural units
• But South India as a whole ≠ Single cultural unit

4. Northern India: Three Distinct Cultural Zones

When we say “North India,” it often implies a homogenous belt, but this is inaccurate.

✅ Sikh-Gurumukhi Cultural Zone

• Punjab and Chandigarh
• Strong religious and linguistic identity
• Distinct cultural elements: Gurudwaras, Langar, Bhangra

✅ Hindi-Hindu Cultural Belt

States:

• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, South Uttarakhand

Common perception:

• One cultural belt → Hindi language + Hindu religion

Reality:

• Major intra-state variations exist:
  • Caste dominance varies (Thakurs, Bhumihars, Jats, Meos)
  • Social conservatism depends on Khap Panchayats, Deras, community power
  • Muslim presence in West UP adds another layer of diversity

So, even if they share linguistic and religious similarities, their cultural behaviours differ.

✅ Urban Cosmopolitan Culture – Delhi NCR

• Multilingual, pan-Indian
• Hybrid of North Indian and global traits
• Unique in its attitude, dress, food, and gestures

🧭 Conclusion:

• Though we may see feudal traits like bahubali, rangedar, and caste-led power across these states…
• North India ≠ Cultural unit
• Only Punjab and Haryana can be seen as individual cultural units

5. Himalayan Region: Based on Geography

Here, culture follows terrain more than state boundaries.

✅ Ladakh Region

• Dominated by Buddhism and Ladakhi language
• Culturally distinct from rest of J&K

✅ Kashmir Region

• Kashmiri Muslims form the cultural core
• Hindus and Sikhs adopt local traditions but remain minorities
• State of J&K = At least two distinct cultural units

✅ Kinnauri–Devbhumi Region

• Spans across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
• Culture rooted in:
  • Myths, deities
  • Dev-dance, fairs, and rituals
• Here, a geographical region (the Himalayas) actually forms a cohesive cultural zone

🔚 Final Summary: What Defines a Cultural Region?

“State boundaries are administrative; cultural boundaries are lived realities.”

Region	Cultural Nature	Key Features	Conclusion
North East	Mixed Cultural Region	Ethnic, linguistic, religious diversity; Jhum culture; matriliny (Meghalaya), patriarchy (Nagaland, Manipur)	States ≠ cultural units; high intra-state diversity
Western India	Inter-State Cultural Overlaps	Common Indo-Aryan roots; food & dress vary by geography; heroism (Rajasthan) vs. pacifism (Gujarat)	States = cultural units (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra)
South India	Individual States as Cultural Units	Linguistic division; common features like lungi, rice-fish; but cinema, religion, matriliny vary across states	States = cultural units; region ≠ cultural unit
Goa	Cultural Outlier	Portuguese influence; Christianity; distinct from both South & Western India	Doesn’t fit any regional cultural pattern
North India	Three Distinct Cultural Zones	Sikh (Punjab), Hindi-Hindu Belt (UP, Bihar etc. with caste/regional differences), Urban cosmopolitan (Delhi NCR)	Region ≠ cultural unit; Punjab & Haryana = cultural units
Himalayan Region	Geography-Based Cultural Units	Ladakh (Buddhist), Kashmir (Muslim majority), Kinnauri–Dev Bhumi (mythological traditions)	Region-based cultural zones more valid here

📝 UPSC Note:

In Cultural Geography, defining a region’s culture requires:

• Examining both material (food, dress) and non-material (values, beliefs, customs) components
• Recognizing intra-regional and intra-state diversity
• Avoiding popular oversimplifications

So next time someone says “North Indian culture” or “South Indian food”, remember:
Culture isn’t a uniform patch — it’s a quilt stitched from many complex threads.