Redefining ‘Indian’ Culture: Rituals as Markers of Identity

This paper will examine the role of religious rituals, especially those centred on marriage, in defining the identity of the Indian diaspora. There are variations among religions, communities, and even regions in how these rituals are observed. Individuals belonging to the same religion/community often observe similar occasions in small but significant ways. These are markers of identity in the homeland. The way these rituals are followed by the diaspora and the degree of variation/similarity in their practice are the focus of the paper. The paper will explore the anxiety of belonging that first-, second-, and third-generation diaspora feel through representations of relationships and marriages in popular media. The diaspora faces a double conundrum: even as it seeks to integrate into the nation in which it resides, it also seeks to retain as much of the homeland as possible. This creates tension among first-generation residents, which is amplified in the second generation of the Indian diaspora. The role of Bollywood in creating a homogenous view of India and its impact on the homogenization of rituals, especially wedding rituals, will also be explored here. This paper discusses the representation of the Indian diaspora and its rituals as depicted in Western television, movies, and fiction.