Mentor’s Comment:

• In the intro briefly describe India’s richness in cultural diversity.
• In the body, describe the process of the movement of the people from one part of this vast country to the other part for various reasons and employment being the major reason. After moving to the other place people start to form a close association with the people from the same place. These two factors lead to the formation of clusters of people from the different types of people with distinct characteristic language, culture, identity, habits, etc. and ultimately lead to the formation of microcosm of India there. State the examples of cities like Mumbai, Delhi, which are the melting pots of culture in true sense.
• In conclusion, mention how this process has helped India sustain its unity and acted as a glue that binds this country together.

Answer:

India is one of the most diverse lands found anywhere in the world with 29 states, each with their own unique languages, traditions, and religions. The reflection of composite Indian culture can be found in small cultural pockets all over the nation.

Evidence of the existence of cultural pockets of small India across the nation:

• • People from smaller cities migrate to urban centers and metropolitan areas in search of employment, education, etc and they eventually settle down there. When such diversity of people pools in together at a relatively smaller place, it becomes a cultural pocket.
    • Example – an urban metropolis like Delhi- hosts people from a diverse region and cultures.
• Festivals: The Ganpati Utsav and those who celebrate it, form a cultural pocket within Mumbai for ten days. It applies to other places as well. In Delhi, a cultural pocket is formed by the political, defense personnel and patriotic citizens around the Independence Day celebrations.
• Multi-story housing societies in urban areas are also an example of cultural pockets. Diverse people live in the same building exchanging food habits, traditions, indigenous culture and they celebrate all festivals together as if they are a big joint family. The same applies to multinational organizations and corporate offices as well where workers represent the diversity of India.
• Higher educational institutes like universities and colleges provide us with the same scenario. Students from every corner of the nation irrespective of their hometowns, race, caste, class or any other differences sit and study in the same classroom and take part in extracurricular activities and college festivals together.
• Diversity in languages even in a small area is a sign of Indian culture. This aspect can be found in pockets in almost every region of India (ex- even in a district like Bardhaman (2nd largest district population-wise) there are subtle changes in language pattern.

Variations in celebration of festivals like Makar Sankranti, with the tradition of kite flying in Gujarat to Pongal in South India, shows the cultural pockets of small India(little tradition). Hence one can hear epithets such as, Delhi being called mini India, which signifies that cultural pockets of small India do exist under the background of tremendous diversity. Which itself is a salient feature of Indian culture.