Impact of Western Culture on Indian Culture India is land of Diversity. Our country has various languages, religion, culture, tradition etc. various elements of Indian culture such as Indian books on philosophy, Indian cuisine, yoga etc. have created an impact all over the world. Western culture is also called European civilization, Western civilization or Western lifestyle. It is based on certain belief systems, traditional customs moral and ethical values. The term not only applies to European countries but to places where we see spread of European culture. “The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and at the foundation, the pre-eminence of family. “ -Mitt Romney India is a country rich in its heritage and culture, but we are seeing fading of Indian culture at many places of India, especially at the urban societies of India. The effect of western culture is greatly seen in our customs, tradition, social and moral behavior, our love and respect for others. These days a person loves to live in freedom, he does not want to bind themselves in Indian customs and traditions. Day by day we see breaking of joint family and more and more development of nuclear family. Very few are interested in making adjustments and share their things with other family members, the word privacy is given greater importance and the love and respect towards other especially elders is decreasing day by day. In this information age people are too busy to care for others. Western culture has brought with it the seeds of selfishness in the minds of Indian. These are contradictory to Indian culture which has always taught to live in harmony with each other and always love and respect everyone at home. With lack in experience of a nuclear family due to the absence of grandfather and grandmother, and both parents working a child fails to learn ethical or moral values, and learn whatever little he sees and understands from the world and his teachers. In this way we end up bringing up a child who has little ethical values and do not hesitate in doing any unfair practices, because no one is there to teach him good or bad or stop him from doing something bad. We should know what is right and wrong for us. Western culture is not altogether bad, although it has made our life faster but enhanced the technology has also made our life easier and comfortable. We need to give importance to our Indian culture which taught us to live in peace and harmony with other by the way of increasing our tolerance and patience. Many people of other countries are realizing the importance of Indian heritage and are adapting the goodness of Indian culture such as practice of Yoga and meditation, wisdom and teachings passed by the ancient saint etc. The knowledge of Indian wisdom helps human being of any race to enrich their life.

It’s time to realize both the goodness and harmful effects of both Indian and western culture, and adopt and goodness and get rid of those cultural practices that are degrading the quality of human life. Indian Culture, which is one of the oldest & richest cultures, is now days posing a serious threat as western culture is establishing its strong base in India and slowly and gradually wiping the Indian culture. It had already made its presence in Metro’s & now slowly heading towards other parts of India. Westernization has greatly effected our traditions, customs, our family and our respect and love for others. The concept of joint families is fastly decreasing every one wants to remain aloof from others. No body now bother about others and only cares about himself which is totally contradictory to our Indian culture which teaches to be a part of each other Joy’s and Sorrows to celebrate the moments together and share the grief together. Slowly all our values for which India has the pride is vanishing & western culture is taking its place. People are blindly following the western culture without knowing its consequences. Westernization has given rise to single families. Marriages are fastly breaking & our tolerance and patience has given the answer. The most effected are our new blooms, which have sprouted they find themselves stressed and isolated in this new atmosphere as there is no one to take care of them. They will not get the care and love of their Grand parents and they find themselves in crutches were some others will take care of them. It is very unfortunate that the new sprouts remain untouched and cut off from our moral values and sanskaras. In today’s Scenario were both husband & wife are working there is no one at home to look after them to inherit the sanskaras in them as our elders who gives these sanskaras to their grand children are not with them. To many cases it is not deliberate but in majority of case the children prefers to remain away from their parents which is very unfortunate. There’s no harm in taking good things from western but this does not mean that we should completely adopt it and pretend to be western and misrepresent our identity. It is understandable that India is growing in every field and there is necessity of knowing all the cultures and their traditions. To some extent it is fine but we should not pretend that we dislike the Indian values and likes only western culture. We have to preserve our identity. One thing should be always kept in mind that western world is looking India for its honesty and its rich Cultural heritage. It is shocking to see that Indians are forgetting their culture and western people are seeing India for obtaining salvation. They are coming here for seeking the true peace, which is total absent there. India has earned a good name in the field of Yoga and meditation were our gurus are giving teachings to western countries how to relax themselves & how to keep themselves away from disease were in India it is contradictory to it. People are only seeing money as necessity and for the same they do any thing, which is very shocking. It is very unfortunate that today’s generation has very little knowledge about their culture, traditions & their roots. This is not their mistake but the mistake of their parents who does not enlighten their children about their roots about their rich cultural heritage. Contradictory to it Parents feel proud in giving the western Sanskaras to their children. Children are brought up in this atmosphere. They are thus kept miles away from Indian culture. There is no harm in giving the knowledge of other cultures and traditions as Indians have made their presence in every part of world and it is very necessary that we should have knowledge of their culture, traditions and their language. We should do but to the limit,

which is really needed, and also take care that our new sprouts are well versed with Indian culture and its values. It is the responsibility of parents to inherit the same and for this it is very necessary that parents should also be well versed with Indian culture and traditions. No doubt the western culture is versatile and has taught to be self-independent but this does not mean that we will forget our culture at all and blindly follow it. Since India has the tradition to take good things from others but this does not mean that we will completely forget our values. We should feel proud that we are Indian s and we have such a rich cultural heritage which is very rare and should carry this forward and inherit the same to our New blooms who are going to be our future.

Civilizations do meet and even merge but never has such an impact been witnessed as the impact of the west on India. A Birdseye view of the Indian scenario would depict a miniature or a distorted West in India. The impact has been so great and so deep that, wherever we go, and, as far as the eye can see, we notice only western modes and we are for a moment set to wonder if we are in India or in some western country. Impact of cultures is felt elsewhere also and this is bound to be, when two people or two societies or two countries meet but, neither leaves its own system wholesale as in India. This is a unique feature in India only, where the culture of the west has penetrated so deep and far and wide that, the original Indian culture has got lost somewhere. To find western impact on India we do not have to go far to seek. Each and every home, each and every sphere of life has been completely influenced by the west that it is difficult to recognize what is Indian in India. Our food, and food habits, our dresses, our dances, our songs, our music, our life style are all of the western pattern. One often wonders whether where we live is India, or a colony of the west? The influence is also changing our education system. In schools, the language most prominent is English and not Hindi. The medium of instruction is also English, so far so good. However, the sad part of this system is that, the schools that lay more stress on Hindi, or use the Hindi Medium of instruction, are known to be second rate schools. Thus, we have not only adopted the British ways but we also appreciate them only. The height of it all is seen when see that, a person who can communicate in English is known to be smarter than a person who cannot. This volume of change is not understandable. It implies that, not only have we taken to western styles, we also admire only them who follow the western styles, in comparison to those who follow the Indian styles. This much influence is not only unwarranted but also shameful. It has often been seen that countries do adopt methods of other countries but in doing so, they maintain their own identity. The loss of the identity is only found in India. To a great extent the influence of the British can be well understood as, we have remained slaves to them for two centuries. This much may be excused, but to revolt if anything Indian or anything indigenous is being introduced cannot be forgiven at all.

This only points to the ugly fact that, we have got independence from the British only physically and politically but, mentally and culturally the onslaught on India has been complete. We, even to-day, remain culturally and mentally bonded to the west. Whenever anything Indian is talked about there is an attitude of derision for it, even in the highest echelons of society. This indicates a full and complete degeneration of Indian culture and its total merger with the culture of the west. In my view, it is good to learn whatever is good anywhere, but, to learn a thing just because it is of the west only depicts a crumbled and shattered state of the Indian mind. We must learn to sort out and learn what is good elsewhere and maintain what is good in us. If we do this we can have the best of all - and that is what on intelligent person or community should be doing - alas India has not done it and got lost in the labyrinth of western notions at the cost of all that was ours. Since Indian people are becoming more modernized. They totally get involved in style and want to look trendy. They get annoyed hearing Indian music which have Ragas, Tales which give us pleasure. But on the other hand the GEN-Years only like pop, rock and hip-hop. India offers a number of classical dance each of which can be traced to different parts of the country and because of the western outlook most of them tend to follow it. Some festivals are associated with renowned historical or cultural places like the Khajrao festival, Taj Mahoutsav, etc. we must give equal importance to the Indian culture as we are Indians and shouldn’t let any culture to come in our way. Jai Hind! Yes I think the Indian culture is influenced by the western culture. Today’s generation thinks that knowing their own culture is something to be ashamed of. Children want to be modern to keep their respect high. They don’t know the value of India’s heritage and culture. Indians are depleting their own culture. India is known by her people. We, the younger generation are the representatives of India in a true sense of the word. Even in history, we come across various incidents where the youth took the lead to bring about a change and get India independence from the British rule. We, the Indian youth have always been the power and pride of India. We are the sole cherishers of India’s pride and its heritage which actually lies in its culture, its diversity, its uniqueness. In such a scenario, where the point of a rich cultured country like India is facing the problem of losing its culture, are we, the youth; the Indian youth not ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? Are we not putting our own self image, our self respect, our mother India’s pride at stake by doing so? Just think about it my dear friends. There is no problem as such when we follow the western culture to some extent. The problem is we are forgetting our culture to a greater extent. Why should we do so? 21st century youth doesn’t mean forgetting the motherland and following or in short adopting western lifestyle in totality. Every culture has its own pros and cons. We individuals should be strong enough to take the good and throw off the bad. But what are we doing now? It’s a shame to see that “India’s pride”; “We Indian Youth” doesn’t have even a bit of importance for India’s pride and heritage, its culture; and we are easily influenced by western culture. Right from our clothing, till the music, the films, our attitude, our lifestyle, in short every aspect of our life has totally changed. “Change doesn’t happen on its own; it’s we who bring about the change.” But by this change, our mother India has lost its sheen and beauty; its place; its uniqueness in the...