The ethnic and cultural diversity in India has always been bound by the thread of unity. Discuss the major factors that have contributed to the cultural unity of India.

Factors - Ethnic diversity bound by thread of unity: (1) United by common traditional beliefs & practices - example: worshipping sacred groves by Khasi (North East) & Bisil (centre). (2) Bounded by primitive nature - example: clash & burn - Jhum (Meghalaya) & transhumance - Gaddi (Himachal). (3) Eccentricity as uniting factor.

Continuation: Sad -> Jungle -> Tameen. Cultural diversity founded by unity: (4) Festival commemoraties - example makar Sauvanti -> lohri. (5) Food as uniting diversity - example rice uniting through diversity in type of rice (cagina, pormoli) and consumption patterns (South vs East India). Always Not always bounded by unity: (6) Ethnic differences in racial origin - example Mongoloids v Negritos. (7) Cultural differences in practices - example Beef/Intoxicants allowed in some, prohibited in other. Others factors contributed: (1) Indian nationalism - Constitution as unifying factor and Fraternity from preamble 51A. (2) Constitution as unifying factor. (3) Mythologies - example Mahabharata spanning Hindi, Tamil languages representing granite of values & nationalism.