India

Add to My Folder

By Jean Evans — early years consultant and author

Discover India’s traditional dress, the different modes of transport and how to make pretty Rangoli patterns

Indian culture

The country of India has a distinctive shape, like an elephant’s ear, with a desert, jungles, plains and huge rivers, as well as the Himalayas – the tallest mountain system in the world. Elephants, which are believed to bring good luck, parade in colourful costumes during festivals. The Hindu God, Ganesh Chaturthi, has the head of an elephant. India is highly populated, with 70 per cent of people living in villages, while others live in towns and cities.

Famous buildings include the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, and there are many Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and statues.

India is famous for woven fabrics and embroidery. Women wear colourful saris and men often wear a dhoti (white cotton wrapped around the waist and legs and tied). Indian food is highly spiced.

Suggested resources

Varied images of Indian life eg images of Indian animals, buildings, clothes, foods and spices; books such as Elephant Dance by Theresa Heine (Barefoot Books) and Prita Goes to India by Prodeepta Daas (Frances Lincoln); role-play items such as Indian cooking sets and costumes; travel brochures describing India.