s into the Indian ocean on the easterncoast. South of the centrally located Deccan plain is the Coastal plain. Thetwo plateaus are separated by the Western and Eastern Ghats(mountains). The Coastal plains' most defining characteristic is the heavyseasonal rains they receive.India's climatic patterns are common for this region. In October,winter monsoons carry hot, dry air in from the northeast, and cropsgenerally wither and die. This situation is described well in the Indiannovel Nectar in a Sieve as it can be a tragedy for families who live off theland. May and June bring wet summer monsoons from the southwest thatcarry moisture from the Indian Ocean. During this season, it usually rainsquite hard every day for weeks at a time.As described, India's great size and diverse landscape createbarriers between groups of the 750 million inhabitants. This is thesignificant factor in the diverse culture as there are numerous culturalgroups with unique traditions and languages. Some aspects of culture,however, are consistent throughout the country.Traditionally, Indians live in villages. The stereotypical image of awoman carrying water in a jug on her head down a worn dirt path is stillaccurate in much of the country; however, the amount of access toelectricity and running water has increased over the past decades. Thetransition from tradition to modernization is one that this far in has notbeen overly smooth. The level of modernization varies from village tovillage.Clothing has remained traditional throughout India. Robes wraparound the Indian bodies, and women commonly wear colorful saris. Morethan 700 languages and dialects divide the people of India, and whileHindi is the most widely spoken language, less than 30% of the citizensspeak it fluently. India declares 15 official languages and 35 additionalregional languages. English, the seemingly universal language, is notofficial in India but it spoken, especially in the urban areas. 35% of Indi...
