The culture in India is one of the most diverse in the world. It’s a melting pot of various beliefs, traditions, languages, art, food and spices. The country is also known for its colorful festivals, architecture, clothing, and hospitality, which every citizen and tourist has the privilege of experiencing.
However, today, we’re looking at a side of India that people hardly ever see. Courtesy of the Instagram account “Rare Indian Images,” we’re taking a unique tour through the country full of fun twists and turns. Scroll down to start, and don’t forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Even though Indians have a sense of humor (as we can see from the images), it’s rarely appreciated by the public. Respect is very deeply rooted in Indian culture, so everything sacred to them shouldn’t be made fun of.
India's residents also don’t appreciate crude humor or swearing and can be quite easily offended by such behavior. Therefore, comedy is very carefully approached in the country, as people who make jokes that tease communities or politicians risk punishment.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I bet it was hot that day.
In 2024, the Guardian reported that stand-up comics are nervous about performing in some parts of the country out of fear of being charged with a crime. The anxiety stems from the time when comic Munawar Faruqui spent over a month in jail because he mentioned a Hindu god in one of his jokes. After his release, he had to cancel all his shows as Hindu nationalists threatened to disrupt them.
"Fun" fact: India has the highest fatal accidents in the world. 250,000 a year, according to World Economic Forum.
India is also the most populous country. Libya has the highest fatal accident rate per capita. In fact, it's more than double the rate for the next highest country, Thailand. Not sure where India ranks, but it didn't make the top 25. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-countries-with-the-most-car-accidents.html#:~:text=At%20a%20rate%20of%2073.4,What%20is%20this%3F
Load More Replies...I've never been to India but I've seen similar in the Philippines. Maybe not six and a dog. I think the most I have seen was a family of five and no dog. Also some oversized cargo loads on bikes and trikes.
Same. The Philippines is also notorious for road fatalities and very lax attitudes towards health and safety. I once saw a guy washing windows on a tall building suspended by nothing more than his own leather belt! It's all very well to look at this and smile, but it doesn't make it any less dangerous.
Load More Replies...It is not "safety" and "traffic laws" and "fatalities" that is the concern. It is the money. If I had the money, why would I take so many of them on my bike ?? I would take them in my luxury car, instead !! And if 142 Crore people had 142 Crore cars, they would jam the whole country !! And 142 Crore is 1,420 million, for information, please !!
I was just in India, Gujarat province, city of Amenabad. Those drivers are amazing, they all seem to know exactly how big their vehicles. Horns are just a courtesy to let people know you are passing. It was organized chaos. Not one accident.
A lot of Indian traffic deaths are caused by poor highway infrastructure and difficulty getting victims to medical help. Poor infrastructure, means guardrail, bridges, lower supports of overpasses, etc.design. For example, guardrails in the US -probably many other places too are devised to deflect cars back without more damage, not just keep them on the road. Crisis care is hindered by the time it can take to get to a trauma center. There’s been a focus on building satellite facilities where there are many accidents. I read about this years ago so I don't know what the current status is.
No one is holding the puppy. The puppy is in a sack attached to the bike. Whoops! I was wrong! You’re right. She is holding a puppy. It’s the dog who is in the sack.
Load More Replies...Great (not) job putting the kids in front. Putting the kids anywhere in the bike, actually. Idiot!!
Similar things happened to other comics as well, one of them being Kunal Kamra, who said, “There is a growing culture of intolerance in this country, where taking offense is seen as a fundamental right and has been elevated to the status of a much-loved national indoor sport.”
“India has always had humour, but in recent years a kind of literalism has spread, a very literal interpretation of the world, and humour has been a casualty. It’s dangerous to be funny. Humour is a powerful form of dissent,” social commentator Santosh Desai says.
Political cartoonists have also lost their jobs after the Indian authorities complained about their work. While some try to balance creativity with personal risk, many have decided to stay away from politics altogether.
In one of his sets, comedian Kenny Sebastian explained why he makes fun of tea and biscuits. “Why I don’t do jokes on politics is because I’m scared,” he said. “It’s not like I can’t get punchlines on political jokes. It’s because I don’t want to get punched on my face.” Most stand-up comedians in India are going apolitical, holding back their opinions.
However, some people choose not to hold back, like comedian Sanjay Rajoura. “[The word] stand-up has ‘stand up’ [in it]. Stand up to what? Stand up to something!” he says. It’s unfortunate that such a diverse culture can't yet embrace tolerance and laugh at themselves. But the young generation of people is set on changing it, one joke at a time, if that’s what needs to be done.
I mean, I understand all the drinks - it's chilled beer - because my daughter is learning to spell at the moment. But the "Drink Safe Before Driving" is a little weird, given what they are selling!
I can guarantee you all that most of these are much more intentional that we realise-
Seriously. So many of these aren;t even from india, they are from indonesia or places around india.
Load More Replies...I can guarantee you all that most of these are much more intentional that we realise-
Seriously. So many of these aren;t even from india, they are from indonesia or places around india.
Load More Replies...