Religion

The religious demographics of the Republic of India show a predominance of Hinduism (an umbrella term which includes many sub-denominations), accounting for 80% of the population. The second largest religion is Islam (13%).

The other natively Indian religions, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism taken together account for less than 3%. About 2% of Indians adhere to Christianity. Zoroastrianism and Judaism have a centuries-long history in India; each has several thousand Indian adherents.

More than nine-tenths of Indians state that religion plays a key role in their lives. Though inter-religious marriage is not widely practiced, Indians are generally tolerant of other religions and retain a secular outlook. Inter-community clashes have never found widespread support in the social mainstream, and it is generally perceived that its causes are political rather than ideological in nature. India's religious diversity extends to the highest levels of government; the Prime Minister of India is a Sikh, the President of India is a Hindu, Vice President of India is a Muslim and the chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a Christian. The Constitution of India declares the nation to be a secular republic that must uphold the right of citizens to freely worship and propagate any religion or faith.

In India religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire Indian tradition and permeates every aspect of life. Hinduism is the dominant faith, practiced by over 80% of the population. But India is a secular state. People of many religions freely live here. Mostly 82% are Hindus and remaining are Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jains and others.

Culture

The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, its unique geography and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, from the Indus Valley Civilization onward. India's great diversity of cultural practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia. India is also the birth place of several religious systems such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, some of which have had a great influence also in other parts of the world. From the thirteenth century onwards, following the Islamic conquests and the subsequent European colonialization, the culture of India was influenced by Turkish, Persian, Arabic and some European (notably, British) cultures. The various religions and traditions of India that were created by these amalgamations have influenced South East Asia and some other parts of the world.

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