Personal Reflection: South Indian Culture and Its Influence

This assignment is a reflective piece where a student explores their South Indian cultural identity, using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle to analyze their personal experiences, feelings, and discoveries. The student begins by defining culture and identifying their own South Indian background, acknowledging how their cultural lens influences their thoughts and feelings. They delve into the concept of cultural influence, considering what shapes their perspective and how it affects their interactions with others. The evaluation stage examines factors influencing their cultural lens, such as exposure to other cultures. The analysis explores the impact of South Indian cuisine, architecture, and dance, viewing South Indian culture as a celebration of beauty and femininity, influenced by Dravidian culture, Maldivian folklore, and the Indus Valley Civilization. The student concludes by asserting that culture shapes an individual's mind and soul, influencing their views and uniting people. They propose an action plan to change others' viewpoints on culture through educational programs and cultural events.

Running Head: SOUTH INDIAN CULTURE
SOUTH INDIAN CULTURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

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Description
Culture is a social behavior which is present in all the societies of humans. It is expressed
in many forms like music, art, dance, rituals, religion, various technological usage, cooking,
dressing style, architecture and all the aspects of human that surrounds it (Fiske, Hodge &
Turner, 2016). My culture is shaped by the Indian culture especially south Indian culture. The
national language spoken here is Hindi though there are many different dialects for each state in
India. South Indian culture mainly constitutes the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It is an important part of Indian culture with great diversities
belonging to a single land. The South Indian culture is rich in eternal beauty of the body and
motherhood. The beauty of South Indian Culture is reflected through its unique festivals, ancient
temples and monuments, sculptures, cuisine, dressings, arts and crafts, religion and ethnicity.
Feelings
I am greatly influenced by my own South Indian culture. The clothing style, South Indian
music, cuisine and the greatest attraction of all is the architecture (Hussain, 2017). My religious
customs, the way I perceive the South Indian people is greatly shaped by the culture of the land. I
feel that I am very lucky to be born on this rich cultural land. South Indian cuisine is another
major attraction for the whole world since there is a tradition of serving the meals on banana
leaves or plantain leaves on special occasions. This is done as the leaves contain antioxidants
(polyphenols) that help to fight cancer. Humans cannot digest leaves. By serving hot dishes on
the leaves, some amount of antioxidants gets into the food and get those polyphenols. It is a
proud moment for me when I talk about my culture and its unique diversity. It brings immense
pleasure for me to share my thoughts and perception n about my culture.

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Evaluation
The cuisine, music, paintings, sculpture, literature, philosophy and temple architecture
has made me connected to the motherland. My friends and family along with my neighbors are
also influenced by this rich Indian culture. South India attracts huge number of tourists every
year (Cohn, 2017). It is a captivating state with loads of wonders like wildlife, jungles, beaches,
the famous Backwaters in Kerala. There are many festivals and adventure sports unique to this
motherland.
Analysis
Other cultures are also rich in their perspectives as cultures are greatly influenced by the
climate and land of area. Every land has its own culture and influences the people. The
development of South Indian cuisine, architecture and dance are a fascinating attraction tool. The
South Indian culture is a festival of the eternal universe by the celebration of its body, beauty and
femininity. South Indian culture is illustrated through clothing, dancing and sculptures. It is the
land of Dravidian culture, Maldivian folklore, Indus Valley Civilization, and many dynasties and
their language and culture (Hussain, 2017.
Conclusion
According to me, my perception of culture is different from others. Others perceive the
cultural diversity as an attraction for tourists or for a change in lifestyle or as an entertainment
process. I think culture shapes the mind and soul of a person. It is responsible for a person’s view
towards others. It unites people together having different background on the same land. It units
people shared with a common bond. Culture influences people and impacts their choice, lifestyle
and preferences. South Indian cultures is a diverse culture. It is incredible and known for its

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heritage. The richness of South Indian Culture is reflected through its beliefs, rituals,
architectural masterpieces, temples, cuisine, arts and crafts and monuments.
Action Plan
If I am given the responsibility of changing the view point of others for culture, I would
change the education pattern for culture in schools and colleges. I would make cultural programs
to be arranged in every institution which would make people realize the richness and importance
of culture in their lives. I would recommend the institutions to encourage and motivate the
students to take part in the cultural programs that would help them to know their culture and
tradition better.

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References
Cohn, B. S. (2017). Notes on the History of the Study of Indian Society and Culture. In Structure
and change in Indian society(pp. 3-28). Routledge.
Fiske, J., Hodge, B., & Turner, G. (2016). Myths of Oz: reading Australian popular culture.
Routledge.
Hussain, Y. (2017). Writing diaspora: South Asian women, culture and ethnicity. Routledge.