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Article: Culturally diverse, but tolerant India; Taste and sensibility abound in a country as it continues its practice of traditional dance, music, language and religion, writes Veronica C Wilkinson.(Life)
- Article from:
- The Sunday Independent (South Africa)
- Article date:
- November 1, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Independent News & Media PLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Simultaneously pedalling his bicycle furiously and ringing the bell, a young Indian boy avoided colliding with me as his passenger, a legless beggar slung into the basket suspended from the handlebars shouted "I am going faster than you".
This happened years ago as I was walking along a road in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. Perhaps this indomitable spirit epitomises a culture where competition for survival is fierce and a caste system results in a multilayered society commemorating its heroes and celebrating its arts and crafts on every level.
With its ancient scripture the Vedas dating from over 4 000 years ago, many religions are practised in ...