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Introduction

Society defines the relations between individuals and culture is the way of life or better can be called as a man made part of environment which even cuts the national boundaries.
India is a vast country having a geographical area of 3287263 sq.km and a population of over 1 billion people. Based on the generous concept of VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBKAM (the world is one family), we have a cultural heritage. This has accommodated and integrated many communities and their ways of life from time to time. Further India produced a universally respected compendium of knowledge in the form of Vedas, Upanishads and great epics.   It provided a suitable atmosphere for a number religion and religious ideas to flourish, different languages to develop and diverse ideologies to take root.

                              CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN SOCIETY
Indian Society is regarded or rather projected always as a traditional society based on spiritualism, giving less importance to materialistic growth. But in today’s era and with changing time, our society too is marching ahead towards a strong, secular and modern nation. There have been impacts of many external forces and religions like Islam, Christianity and western society, but the Indian way of life continues.
The traditional Hindu Society believed in ascribed status, it was hierarchical in nature where upward mobility was difficult and slow. The concept of Purusharthas (goals of life) guided the life. They are Dharma (morality, duties of the individual), Artha (pursuit of wealth and well-being),Kama(pursuit of bodily desires) and Moksha (salvation)
The Hindus believed in 4 ashrams or stages of life, which are related to the above 4 goals of life:


Besides these, there is a notion of “Rina” i.e. owing debt to the Gods, to the sages, to ancestors and to the society. These aspects are found more in the ideals and less in practice, though. If we look at tradition then not all but certain features are still... [continues]

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