Different strokes, same folks

Spices, yoga, Deepak Chopra, and Bollywood. Many cultures abound in the halls of the school. The slowly increasing Indian population in the student body will help students learn more about this culture. The Indian population is very prevalent on the east and west coasts, but not in Central Indiana. Most of the students in school are first generation Americans.

Indian culture is a mix of modern and traditional values. They have a very strong sense of family and friendship. In fact, a family unit consists of children (students), parents, and grandparents living under one roof. Indians can be Catholic, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim. Hinduism is a religion that has several branches. Freshman Prabhjot Singh practices Sikhism, a branch of Hinduism.

Indians celebrate holidays such as, Diwali which is called the festival of lights. Diwali is very similar to the celebration of Christmas. It is a time to be grateful for family, friends, good health, and success. Prayer is a key element in Indian holidays. Eighth grader Armaan Patel says his family prays mostly on holidays, while Freshman Raaj Patel’s family prays every morning and night in their designated prayer room.

Coming from a different country and living in America is certainly difficult for anyone, especially half way across the world like India. Patel’s family moved to Indiana from Gujarat, India.

“The weather is different. Life in India is really different from here. India isn’t as developed as Indiana (neighborhoods, schools, stores, etc.). People in India live in tougher conditions with no electricity, but my grandparent’s home in India has electricity. Not everyone has the opportunity to get a good education, such as farmers, but India still has really high test scores,” said Patel.

India is rich with culture. It is an amazing place with mix of food, tradition, and entertainment.