Lifestyles of Indian States

India is a country of twenty eight states and seven union territories. Lifestyle means the way of life of the people.

This includes their language, religion, dance, dresses and food. Different states of India follow different lifestyles. This project is about lifestyle of ten major states of India.1. HaryanaHaryanavi is the dominant mother tongue of Haryana.

Hindi is spoken as spoken as a second language. Haryana is called the Land of Rotis because this is the main food item in Haryana. Tea, Buttermilk (Lassi), Thandai are the local drinks. Bajra ki roti, Bajra Ki Khichdi and Bathua Ka Raitha are also popular food items.Women love to wear colourful dresses.

The men generally wear white dhoti or pajama, white-coloured kurta, 'Pagri'. All-white attire is a status symbol for men. Women wear ghaggra, lehenga, Kurti (shirt) and a printed orhni. Haryanvi Ragini is a part of folk music in Haryana. Khoria and Jhumar Dances are performed by women and Dhamal Dance is a folk dance of Men.

Ras Leela is also a common folk dance.2. PunjabThe people of Punjab speak Punjabi language. The food of the state include roti, rice, dals and vegitables. "Sarso ka saag" and "Maki ki roti" are special food items of Punjab. The popular dress worn by the women of Punjab is salwar kameez and bright colored duppattas.

The traditional dress of the men of Punjab comprises a kurta pyjama, loongi, turban and punjabi Jutti. Bhangra is the main dance of men. "Gidha" is women's dance. The main festivals of Punjab are: Dewali, Holi, Lohri, Basant Panchami, Hola Mohalla, Baisakhi and Guru Purb.3.

RajasthanRajasthani community is known as marwaris. They speak Rajasthani language. Rajasthani food is known for its snacks like Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Bada, Pyaaj Kachori and ghevar. Other famous dishes include bajre ki roti, lashun ki chutney , mawa kachori, malpauas and rassgollas from Bikaner. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females includes lehenga and choli. It is full of mirror-work and embroidery.

Men wear dhotis, Chudidar payjama, kurta, and safa Folk music is a part of Rajasthani culture. The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer are very popular. The religious festivals include: Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Gogaji, MakarSankranti and Janmashtami.4.

HimachalThe native languages of Himachal are Pahari, Dogri, and Kangri. The food of Himachalis is very similar to the rest of the north India but non-vegetarian food is more preferred. Himachal is well known for Pashmina shawl and Himachali caps. Some of the dances of Himachal are Losar Shona Dulshol, Dharveshi, Drodi, Dev Naritya and Rakshas Nritya. The fairs and festivals include Kullu Dussehra, Shivratri , Shoolini Mela and Holi .

5. KeralaKerala is popularly known as God's own country. The people of kerala speak Malayalam language. Kerala food includes rice, coconuts, seafood (fish, prawn). The traditional dress of the men in Kerala is the mundu which is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Most women wear a saris and short blouses.

Many women also wear a kumkum in the middle of the forehead. Folk dances of Kerala are Kathakali, Koothu and Mohiniyattom. Kerala has its own native music system called sopanam. Kerala is also home of Carnatic music. Kerala is the land of festivals like Onam, Vishu and Thiruvathirai.

6. Tamil NaduThe people of Tamil Nadu speak Tamil language. Lord Shiva and Lord Sivan are the supreme deities of the Tamil Nadu. Rice is the staple food of Tamils. They eat dosa, idly, vada, coconut chutney, sambhar and rasam. They also eat chicken, mutton, and fish.

The Kanchipuram silk sarees of Tamil Nadu are world famous. Rural women wear Chettinad sarees. Bharathanatyam is a classical Indian dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. Pongal is the major festival of Tamils. This is a harvest festival.

Mahamagam Festival is celebrated once in twelve years in Tamil Nadu. This festival is also called as Kumbamela of South.7. MaharashtraThe people of Maharashtra speak Marathi language.

Generally, men wear dhoti and pheta (turban) and women wear choli and saree is basic costume of women. Maharashtrian food is strong in pepper and spice. The well known dishes are vada-pow and chaat. The dances include Powada, Lavani and Koli . Apart from the main festivals of India, Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important festival of Maharashtra.

Other festivals include Ashwin Poornima, Ganga Dashahara, Nag Panchami and Wat Pournima.8. Madhya Pradesh The dominant communities living in this state belong to various tribes. Hindi is the main language of the state. However, the local people also speak tribal languages.

Majority of the male community wears dhoti along with Bandi (jacket) and a head gear (turban). Their clothes are very colorful. The women of the state wear Lehenga and Choli with an Orni. They also wears sari. The folk song of tribal children called Relo is well known. Dhankul songs and Chait Parah are also popular.

Leha song is a kind of ritual song. The dances of the state are Lota and Phag. The state celebrates many kinds of festivals. In addition to the festivals of India, many other festivals are celebrated. Kumbha Mela is held in Ujjain. Diwali in this state is held for five days.

Chaitra fair is held in Malwa.9. BiharBihari people speak Hindi, Maithili Bhojpuri and Magadhi. The main food is bhat (boiled rice), dal, roti, tarkari, Khichdi and achar. The most avourite dish of Bihar is Litti-Chokha. Litti is made of sattu and chokha is made of potatoes, tomatoes, and brinjals.

The dances of the state are: dhobi nach, jhumar nach and mor-morni. Hinduism is the main religion of the state. Biharis celebrate all Hindu festivals. In addition the major festivals of Bihar are Chatt Puja , Teej and Chitragupta Puja.10. Uttar PradeshThe two languages of Uttar Pradesh are Hindi and Urdu.

Most of the Hindu communities are vegetarians. Their favourite food is ‘puri-aloo’. The Muslims, Kashmiris, Kayasthas and Christian communities cook eat non-vegetarian dishes like kababs and biryanis. The traditional dresses of the state include sari and salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama for men. Sherwani is a more formal male dress.

The majority people belong to Hindu religion. There are are large numbers of Muslims in the state. In addition, Christians, Buddhists and Jains also live in the state of UP. Major festivals of all these religions are celebrated in the state. Kathak is the most famous dace of Uttar Pradesh. Swang, Nautanki and Qawwali are also very popular in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Folk dances include Braj Raslila, Charukala.