What is Indian Culture?

Sri Aurobindo was unique among spiritual masters in being a perfect synthesis of the East and the West. That gave his teachings a refreshing and contemporary touch, free from any dogma and prejudice. While he was rooted in ancient Indian wisdom, his teachings have a global scope in today’s world. This article by Ramesh Bijlani is part of a series that celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, which falls in 2022.

- Ramesh Bijlani

A few years ago, I was waiting for my turn at the barber’s. While waiting, I picked up a Hindi newspaper. One of the headlines on the front page ran somewhat like this: ‘MBA girl, can’t wear jeans.’ Finding the headline interesting, I read the story, which said that a married girl living not far from Delhi and holding an MBA degree was not allowed by her in-laws to wear jeans. The girl had complained that she was expected to keep her head covered with a dupatta (a long scarf) all the time, and if the dupatta slipped even while working in the kitchen, she got a scolding. All these rules were imposed on her in the name of Indian culture. This is unlikely to be an isolated story. Is that what Indian culture really is? Or, for that matter, does a great culture really concern itself with such minor things?