The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral, and were later transcribed. Most of these spring from Indian (later called Hindu) traditions, and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India’s oldest traditions. There have been many notable Indian writers in modern times, both in Indian languages and in English. India’s only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.

India produces the world’s largest number of movies every year. The most recognisable face is that of cinema production based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films, often referred to as “Bollywood”. Cinema in other vernacular languages is also particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industries. India’s contribution to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali director Satyajit Ray, who in 1992 won an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Rice and wheat (in bread form) are the staple foods in the country. The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods vary from region to region. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles, and depend on various factors, including climate. The traditional sari and the salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti.

Arts and entertainment in India have a rich and ancient history. Right from ancient times there has been a synthesis of indigenous and foreign influences that have shaped the course of the arts of India. Arts refer to paintings, architecture, literature, music, dance, languages and cinema.

In early India, most of the arts were derived Vedic influences. After the birth of Jainism and Buddhism, arts flourished under the patronage of kings and emperors. The coming of Islam spawned a whole new era of Islamic architecture. Finally the British brought on their own Gothic influences and fused it with the Indian style.