India 'Disneyfied'?

Disneyfication of India

“Disneyfication (also called Disneyization) is a term which describes the transformation of something, usually society at large, to resemble The Walt Disney Company's theme parks. Sharon Zukin (1996) uses the former term in her book The Cultures of Cities, as do other social scientists writing about urban transformation. The latter term was popularized by Alan Bryman in a 2004 book, The Disneyization of Society. Disneyfication of urban space is explored in Jeff Ferrell's Tearing Down the Streets: Adventures in Urban Anarchy.

The terms are generally used in a negative way, and they imply homogenization of consumption, merchandising, and emotional labor. They can be used more broadly to describe the processes of stripping a real place or event of its original character and repackaging it in a sanitized format. References to anything negative are removed, and the facts are watered down with the intent of making the subject more pleasant and easily grasped. In the case of places, this typically means replacing what has grown organically over time with an idealized and tourist-friendly veneer reminiscent of the "Main Street, U.S.A." attractions at Disney theme parks.” – Wikipedia.

There principals of Disneyfication are as such: theming, merchandizing, and emotional labour.

Theming
Firms are coming up with different themes to boost sales. An example could be the F&B industry. Restaurants are repeatedly trying to sell not only their food but the overall image of the place, in order to gain an edge over the rest. One classic case could be the ‘Ohris Group’s Bollywood themed Restaurant 'Havmor 70 MM' and '1857' - Colonial themed Restro-Bar launched at Hyderabad. Each zone is themed in that look and feel. Also featured are full and detailed statues of Amitabh Bachchan and Helen with a lot of retro Bollywood elements including staff uniforms. Table tops are all themed as per the zone. Lots of authentic bollywood memorabilia on the walls such as LP records, Posters depicting Bollywood stars, etc.

Merchandizing
Bollywood, India’s version of Hollywood, is one of India’s greatest joys having gained recognition on an international context. Along with box-office collections, producers are increasingly looking at off-screen deals as an alternative source of revenue. One such example could be ‘merchandising for Saawariya. The whole business of branded entertainment is being driven by “outside associations” which is growing at a whopping 200% year-on-year.

Emotional labour
“Emotional labour is an element of work activity in which the worker is required to display certain emotions in order to complete work tasks in the way required by an employer.” One such example can be the call centre in Mumbai. Problems facing the call-centre workers such as `abusive client calls', `nerve-wracking time schedules and increasing targets' are among the issues in spotlight. There are several centres where the profit margins are so tight that operators are under constant pressure to meet tough deadlines and stick to strictly scripted interactions, and manage a cheerful disposition through it all.

What is India known for?

India is known for a variety of things in different states.

Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand which are at the foot of Himalayas
Known for scenic beauty, flowers, gardens, lakes, snow covered hill stations like Shimla (Simla), Kulllu, Manali and Mussourie. Some activites one can partake in there: snow games like skiing, river rafting, mountaineering, trekking, etc. Apples, saffron (flower) and apricots are grown in this region.

Rajasthan is mostly a desert with temperature running to 50 degrees Celsius during summer. Camels are used for transportation.

Jaipur is called the Pink City because an assortment of Pink Stone is used for the Palaces assembled by the olden days Kings.


Udaipur is called the City of Lakes.

Punjab is rich and fertile.

Chandigarh, a well planned city famous for Nek Chand's Rose Garden and a park /sculptures made of broken porcelain/glass pieces.


Amritsar, the Golden Temple is positioned in this state which is a sacred place to Sikhs like Mecca to Muslims.

Ahmadabad, the capital of Gujarat is a flourishing business centre with the people belonging to a very rich community. It is famous for textile industry.

Uttar Pradesh, though no longer a visitors paradise, is still Home to India's most seen tourist spot, the ‘Taj Mahal’. Uttar Pradesh is also the heritage heartland of India, with many Hindu pilgrim spots.

Dwaraka, is the place of Lord Krishna, Surat is the city of cloth manufacturing and Ship building makes this State very rich in resources. Perhaps these are the richest community in India.

Maharashtra, the financial hub of India, is famous for its film Industry in the state capital Mumbai (Bombay) Bollywood, the Indian version of Hollywood. It is the world's largest film Industry by number of movies made every year, many times more than Hollywood. The beautiful Marine Drive is also called as the Queen's Necklace is worth seeing in the night when it is lit. There are many island caves near Mumbai, and the Elephanta caves are very famous in this regard. Konkan region in Maharashtra has got remarkable tourist potential. Ratnagiri district in this region has come on to the world map becuase of its Alphonso mango. Many beaches including religious attractions draw many International to Konkan region.

Goa is reputed for its beaches and churches, Goa, the name itself is a boost for tourism.

Moving on to the Eastern part of India, most of these states are rich with tea plantations.

Kolkata (Calcutta) in West Bengal, the capital is the first city where the British established their East India Company. Even to this day, we can see the buildings in British Style on many streets of Kolkata.

Darjeeling with its a century old narrow-gauge train is one of the main attraction hill stations.


Sikkim is a land of Buddhists with many monasteries while the other smaller states like Tripura, Mizoram have Christians.

Manipur was called the "Switzerland of India" by Lord Irwin, a viceory of India in the 1920s. This small state has the largest freshwater lake in eastern India, called Loktak. And the world's endangered brow antlered deer plays in the world's only floating park Keibul Lamjao. The state is famous for the Ima Keithel or "Mothers' Market where more than 3, 000 women controls the daily market to sell vegetables, fruits, fish and other essential products. Two well tended Commonwealth War Graves Cemetries are located built in memory of soldiers fought in World War II.

Bihar is birthplace of Buddhism.

Puri in Orissa, is a holy place for Hindus with Lord Jagannath's temple, the Konark Sun God temple and a vast stretch of beaches.Asia's largest lake called the Chilka lake is in Orissa where many birds migrate from other parts of the world. Rourkela in Orissa is another place of huge tourist interest as it holds a 74ft. high statue of Lord Hanuman and also Khandadhar Falls(India's 4th highest waterfall).

Vindhya Mountain ranges across three states comprising parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Vidharbh (North Eastern Part of Maharashtra).

Tamilnadu is celebrated for many stone sculptured temples.


Karnataka is a land with greenery and a combination of Hindus, Muslims and Jains.

Mysore is called the city of sandalwood, being the largest producer of Sandalwood.

Kerala, the land of coconuts, backwaters, beaches and ayurvedic centre for medical treatment and health spa.

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, also known as one of the twin cities, the other being Secunderabad. Hyderabad pearls are world famous.Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateshwara is here and it is this temple which brings in the most revenue in comparison to any other place in India. It is actually the second richest religious organization in the world after the Roman Catholic Church of Vatican.

In general, India is known for:

1. Rich & praiseworthy culture (Arts for one) & civilization
India has of a very rich past as it was ruled by the powerful Sultans and greatest kings in the bygone days. There are monuments and cultural facts that have come down from various parts of Asia. India is also a land of great diversity. It is a mixture of a great many cultures of different states, that have its unique histories and culture. Moreover, the styles in the old monuments of arts are vastly different. More over if we look at the old monuments of art, the styles are vastly different. It will be a challenge to find another country with such multiplicity in arts, culture, and history.

2. Yoga
Yoga is a Hindu philosophy ("darshana") first expounded in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

3. Spices & spicy food

4. Religion
Seeing as how Buddhism and Hinduism first originate from India, devotees flock to India as it is the ‘sacred’ place.

5. Anicent Vedas

6. Science
The worldwide representation of India is that of an imminent and progressive nation. India has hurdled many limitations in all segments- commerce, technology and development, etc.

Renowned Scientists
Dr. S.Chandrasekhar :

He is an Astrophysicist, who won Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983 for his theory of Stellar Evolution – the birth and death of stars is 35 years old. According to his theory, the old stars just crumple and vanish in the light of denser stars of low light popularly called Chandrasekhar Limit.

Charaka :
He was a court physician of King Kanishka during 80 and 180 A.D.. His writings on Hindu Medicine are priceless.

Types of Leisure Programmes

Festivals, Events, Sports, and other Recreational Programs
India is a land of festivals and fairs. Indians practically celebrate each day of the year; as such, there are more festivals than anywhere else! Each celebration relates to a variety of occasions, some to welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others commemorate spiritual events, the birthdays of celestial beings and saints, or the arrival of the New Year. A number of these festivals are widespread in most parts of India, although they may be referred to by varying names in different parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different manner. There are many significant festivals celebrated by diverse communities in India, and some of the festivals celebrated all over India are mentioned below.

Bhai-Dooj
Symbolizes the siblings’ eternal love for each other. The sister would pray for the elongated and prosper life of her brother by applying tilak on his forehead and in return brother gives his words to supply a lasting protection to his sister. The festival falls on the second day after Diwali and is celebrated all over the country.


Diwali
Otherwise known as ‘Deepawali’ or the Festival of Lights. It is arugably the most celebrated of all Hindu festivals. Sacred dedication accompanied with lots of fun and frolicking marks the festival. Deepawali is celebrated in most parts of the country with the same zest and in the same manner.


Dussehra
Falls on the 10^thday of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October). Dussehra is associated with a captivating collection of myths and legends. On this day, Rama (the god-king and the hero of the great Hindu clssic, Ramayana) defeated the wicked Ravana – the 10-headed demon-king of Lanka who had kidnapped Rama’s wife Sita.


Eid Ul Fitr
The grandest Muslim fiesta. Eid comes from the Arabic word ‘oud’ or ‘the coming back’ to indicate the return of Eid each year. The festival is noteworthy as much for its timing as for its sacred connotations. It is commerated after the month of Ramzan (the fasting month and the ninth month of the Muslim year), on the first day of Shavval – a month in the Hijri year (Muslim year). It is widely-circumulated that the Koran was lay bared to Prophet Mohammed in the month of Ramzan.

Cricket is the most popular sport in India as much as it is not the national game (which is hockey). It is played in every street corner, even in cramped back alley! Lack of resources is not a setback to the game. Even though India’s performance is not as good as it should have been, contemporary training approaches and more competitive spirit are expected to give an improved medals tally at the next Olympic Games.


Trekking is one of the most prominent adventure sports in India. The rugged beauty of these mountain ranges in India provides spectacular and stimulating trekking trips, which draws travellers and tourists from around the globe. Himalaya, Garhwal and Kumaon regions, Chamba, Manali, Ladakh, Zanskar, Lahaul-spiti, Kullu, Kangara, Darjeeling, Yuksam and Leh offer breathtaking, and enthralling trekking routes to the tourists. Almost all the travel agents in India provide exciting trekking trips. There are many hotels and hill resorts in those regions as well.

(Almora hill resort - one of the most popular hill stations of Uttaranchal. )

Mode of Education

“The Indian education system encompasses pre-school, primary school, secondary school, higher secondary school, and higher education (graduation and post-graduation). Although primary school is compulsory, this has been difficult to achieve in practice and India is still struggling to raise its literacy rates.

Through school, students are taught a uniform set of subjects including languages, math, sciences, and social sciences. Higher education in India provides an opportunity to specialize in a field and include

s technical schools (such as the Indian Institutes of Technology), colleges, and universities.

Higher education in India has evolved in distinct and divergent streams with each stream monitored by an apex body, indirectly controlled by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and funded by the state governments. The important universities are called Central Universities and these are maintained by the Union Government. The private sector also has a strong presence in Indian higher education. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), National Law School, Bangalore; All India Institute of Medical Sciences; Indian School of Business, Hyderabad; and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are renowned for their superior standards of education and compete with the best in the world.” – As adapted from http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/IN-education.htm



Funding for education mainly comes from 3 levels: Federal, state, and local. There are three different types of education: public, private or home-schooled. Home-schooled is a less explored approach, even though it is legal in India.

According to statistics, 80% of all school is government school. This naturally makes the national government the main provider of education. However, because of the poor quality of education in government school, 27% of Indian children are privately-educated. Private school offers a more extensive modules and extra curriculum activities such as science fairs. The y also have a better student to teacher ratio as compared to government school(1:31 to 1:37).

Female education
Women has a lower illiteracy rate when put side by side the opposite gender. Most female student drop out at an earlier age because they are either financially incapable or because India’s tradition does not require that women be highly educated, their sole existence is to care for their solely their husband and family.

Language of India

Language
India is a huge country, with a lot of cultural and geographical multiplicities. This has resulted in a number of different languages spoken across the country. There are a total of 22 officially recognized language in India, even though there is so much more; the others are accepted as the dialects of the particular region. E.g. It is just like the classic case of ‘Hokkien’ or ‘Cantonese’ in Singapore. Just so you know, there are about 33 different languages and about 2000 dialects identified in India!

The Indian languages are classified into the four language families: Indo-European, Dravidian, Austroasiatic (Austric) and Sino-Tibetan. Bulk of India’s population uses Indo-European and Dravidian languages, and is spoken mostly in northern and central regions, and in southern India respectively. Some ethnic groups in Assam and other parts of eastern India converse in the Austric tongue, while people in the northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.

Hindi is the official language of the Federal government of India. English is an associate official language. Sanskrit, the classical language of India, is the oldest literary language of India. More than 5,000 years old, it is the foundation for countless of contemporary Indian languages which includes Hindi and Urdu. Sanskrit is used in all the classical literature and the Indian epics.

Below is a list of language accepted by the Indian Constitution.

Languages	Official Language of	Spoken by
Assamese	Assam	15 million
Bengali	Tripura & West Bengal	67 million
Bodo	Assam
Dogri	Jammu and Kashmir
Gujarati	Dadra and Nagar Haeli, Daman and Diu & Gujrat	43 million
Hindi	Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & Uttaranchal	180 million
Kannada	Karnataka	35 million
Kashmiri
Konkani	Goa
Maithili	Bihar	22 million
Malayalam	Kerala & Lakshadweep	34 million
Manipuri (Meithei)	Manipur
Marathi	Maharashtra	65 million
Nepali	Sikkim
Oriya	Orissa	30 million
Punjabi	Punjab	26 million
Sanskrit
Santhali
Sindhi
Tamil	Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry	66 million
Telugu	Andhra Pradesh	70 million
Urdu	Jammu and Kashmir	46 million

List of other languages of India

Languages	Language of	Spoken by
Awadhi (sub-variety of Hindi)		20 million
Bhili	Bhil tribals
Bhojpuri (sub-variety of Hindi)	Bihar	23 million
Bundeli (sub-variety of Hindi)
Chhattisgarhi (sub-variety of Hindi)	Chhattisgarh	11 million
Deccani		11 million
Gondi	Gond tribals
Haryanvi (sub-variety of Hindi)	Haryana	13 million
Hindustani (mixture of Hindi and Urdu)	Northern part of India
Kanauji (sub-variety of Hindi)	Uttar Pradesh
Kodava	Kodagu (Karnataka)
Kutchi	Kutch (Gujarat)
Magahi (sub-variety of Hindi)	southern Bihar	11 million
Marwari (sub-variety of Hindi)	Rajasthan	12 million
Portuguese	Partly in Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Sikkimese	Sikkim
Tibetan	Tibet (Kashmir)	6 million
Tulu	Tulu people (Karnataka & Kerala)

Learning Hindi
The following are five trendy Hindi words that will be used most often, but may be puzzled as to what they actually mean or the context they are used in.

3. Accha

This multi-purpose word literally means "good". However, it could also mean “Okay, really?”, “I understand”, “oh!”, or “I have a question”.

2. Thik Hai

"Thik hai", pronounced "teek hey". Its literal meaning "is fine". In this regard, it’s a bit like the word “accha” and is often used along with “accha” or instead of “accha”. “I’m going over to friend’s place, and will be back by 5 p.m.” “Accha, accha, thik hai”.(Good, good, fine). “Thik hai, I’m going now” (Alright, I’m going now). Thik hai is also a common reply to the question of how you’re feeling. “How are you feeling now?” “Thik Hai, think hai (So-so)”

3. Chalega

The literal meaning is “will move” or “will walk”. nNonetheless, it is usually used by itself as a question or a statement as to whether something will work. For example, you went shopping and saw a cute top: “Chalega?” If you like it, you’d reply “chalega”. If you really like it, you could even add another “chalega” for emphasis and say “chalega, chalega”. Another situation where chalega is used is to ask if someone will go somewhere. For example, "Tampines chalega?"