Shahil Kumar Mungamuri said although India is a vast and diverse country, the differences in culture, food, language and tradition add to its unification.
What do you think India is most known for?
Vaishali Kilaparthi, a senior from Visakhapatnam, India, majoring in accounting, said most of the time when she tells people she’s from India, they ask her about her favorite Bollywood movies.
Bollywood is just like Hollywood, she explained, so many people are familiar with the movies. She said her favorite Bollywood movie is “Dangal.”
What are unique cultural practices in India?
Don’t wear your slippers in the house, Kilaparthi said, emphasizing how in India, they don’t even bring slippers in the house. They leave them outside.
Mungamuri, a freshman from Rajamandi, India, majoring in computer science, said Atithi Devo Bhava, or treating guests as if they are a god, is a unique cultural practice. He said the people in India will always feed the guests a lot of food and “give them the greatest salutations.”
Anisha Rayudu, a freshman from Hyderabad, India, majoring in computer science, said another cultural practice in India is not talking back to people. No matter their age, she explained, people from India show others the utmost respect and love. She said doing so shares Indian traditions and culture with other people.
What is a piece of traditional Indian clothing?
The saree (or sari) and chudidhar, said Rayudu, are pieces of traditional clothing that cover the entire body, typically worn during weddings or other special occasions.
The saree resembles a blanket that is tied at the waist or wrapped around the person, she explained. The chudidhar is a pair of pants and shirt worn with a scarf. Traditionally, she said, most people will wear green, red, blue and yellow.
Mungamuri said men wear a dhoti or a kurta, or white pants and shirt, during special family gatherings. However, due to Westernization, he said more men are starting to wear suits.
What is a major holiday in India and how do you celebrate it?
There are many religious festivals held throughout the year, but some of the biggest holidays are Holi, Diwali and Ogadi, explained Mungamuri. Holi, or the festival of color, he said, is celebrated by throwing colored chalk at festival goers.
Diwali, or the festival of light, is held in celebration of a Hindu god, and is a celebration of new beginnings, Mungamuri said. People will make good food and burn firecrackers or fireworks in the evening, he explained.
Kilaparthi said holidays are different all over India, but Diwali is celebrated by almost everyone in India, even though it is of the Hindu religion. She shared the holiday is a five-day celebration, and added people of the Hindu religion will go to temples to worship, offer food to the gods and pray for family.
Ogadi, Mungamuri shared, is held in March of the Roman calendar, and is similar to the New Year’s holiday. During the holiday, he said they make a dish using the seven different tastes, including sour, bitter and sweet, among others. He said the dish symbolizes how “life may have many different emotions, and the tastes [or emotions] can be balanced in life.”
Rayudu said her favorite holiday celebrated in India is Sankranthi, a three-day festival in January that celebrates the harvest. The first day is called Bhogi, where people “burn old wood or old furniture,” which represents burning the past and entering into a new life, she explained.
The second day is called Sankranthi, and is celebrated by making a lot of food from what was harvested and wearing traditional clothing, she said.
The third day is called Kanuma, shared Rayudu, and people will decorate bulls with different colors and let them rest all day. In India, farmers are referred to as the “backbone of India,” and the holiday is meant to honor and respect the farmers, she explained.
What is the main language spoken in India?
The national language in India is Hindi, shared Rayudu, but it is common for people to speak multiple languages. She said, “My native language is Telugu, but I also speak English and Hindi.”
Mungamuri explained there are more than 20 to 30 languages spoken in India, and each state speaks a different dialect or language. He shared he speaks Telugu, English and enough Hindi to be able to ask for directions.
What is your favorite Indian food?
Kilaparthi shared her favorite Indian food is called chicken biryani, which is served with rice and made with dry spices including coriander, star anise and bay leaves. She said this is one of the most popular dishes in her city.
Mungamuri said although it was hard to narrow down, his favorite food is called dal, which is served with leafy vegetables. There are more than 10 different types of dal, he said, and people can make it with many different ingredients like mango, tomato and a variety of leafy vegetables.
What is the meaning behind India’s flag?
Rayudu said the Indian flag has three different colors and a wheel in the middle. The colors saffron, white and green represent sacrifice, peace and agriculture. The spokes on the wheel, she explained, represent the virtues the country believes in.
Mungamuri added the wheel is also known as the Ashoka Chakra, and is used to remember and honor a good king. He said the wheel itself “represents the life cycle and how there is life in movement and death in stagnation.”
Kilaparthi said she learned in school the different colors also represent the different religious groups within India. She shared, “Saffron is the Hindu culture, white is the Christians and green is the Muslims.” Mungamuri said although this wasn’t the original meaning of the colors, people use them now to represent the different religious affiliations.
What is your home city like?
Kilaparthi said she lived in a coastal city 15 minutes from the beach. She said her hometown has a fish harbor and is one of the cleanest cities in India.
Mungamuri said his city is in between the countryside and the city. “People might call it the countryside, but it’s a mix between both ... because we have small shopping malls, movie theaters and grocery stores.”
What are the education differences between India and BYUH?
Kilaparthi said she prefers how there isn’t as much competition between students at BYUH. Schools in India, she said, are intense because everyone competes for the best grade, but in the United States, everyone has a chance to get the best grade they can.
Mungamuri said studying at BYUH is much different than the textbook-based learning in India. He shared most of the time in India, students look to the textbook to find answers, but at BYUH, learning is much more collaborative and engaging. •