Cultural life

Although India abounds in museums (many in proximity to major architectural and archaeological sites) and has numerous theaters and libraries, few, if any, are world famous. Art galleries are confined almost exclusively to major cities and cater to a small, affluent, often foreign clientele. Among learned societies, the most prominent is the Asiatic Society, founded in Kolkata in 1784.

Sports and recreation

The history of sports in India dates back thousands of years, and numerous games, including chess, polo, wrestling, and badminton, are believed to have partially or wholly originated there. Contemporary Indian sports are a diverse mix, ranging from traditional games—such as kabaddi, kho-kho, pehlwani (wrestling), and jallikattu (bull taming)—to those introduced by the British, including cricket, football (soccer), and field hockey.

India has hosted several international sports competitions. It hosted the Men’s One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup in 1987 and cohosted in 1996, 2011, and 2023. It also hosted the Men’s Twenty20 International (T20I) Cricket World Cup in 2016 and will cohost in 2026. In women’s cricket, India has hosted the Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup thrice—in 1978, 1997, and 2013—and will cohost the upcoming edition from September 30 to November 2, 2025. It also hosted the Women’s T20I World Cup in 2016. Additionally, India hosted the Asian Games in 1951 (the games’ inaugural year) and 1982, and the country hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Kabaddi, primarily an Indian game, is believed to be some 4,000 years old. Combining elements of wrestling and rugby, the team sport has been a regular part of the Asian Games since 1990. India has been the most successful nation in international kabaddi, winning all the men’s and women’s Kabaddi World Cups held so far, as well as multiple gold medals at the Asian Games. Kho-kho, a form of tag, ranks as one of the most popular traditional sports in India, and its first national championship was held in the early 1960s. Other traditional sports include gilli danda (a stick sport similar to tip-cat), kambala (buffalo racing), kalaripayattu (an ancient martial art), and vallam kali (boat racing), all of which have deep historical and cultural roots.

Indians are passionate about cricket, which probably appeared on the subcontinent in the early 18th century. The country competed in its first official Test in 1932 and in 1983—led by captain Kapil Dev—won the Cricket World Cup. The Indian team won its second World Cup in 2011, captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It also won the inaugural edition of the T20I Cricket World Cup in 2007 and won its second T20I World Cup title in 2024. India has produced some of cricket’s greatest players, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli—all widely regarded as among the greatest batters of their respective generations. The Indian women’s cricket team has also found international success, winning seven Asia Cup championships. Players such as Mithali Raj, Neetu David, and Jhulan Goswami have played prominent roles in the rise of women’s cricket in India.

As of the 2024 Paris Olympics, India has won Olympic medals in field hockey, wrestling, shooting, badminton, boxing, weightlifting, athletics, and tennis. India made its Olympic Games debut as an official competitor at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, though it did not form an Olympic association until 1927. The following year, in Amsterdam, India competed in field hockey, its national game, for the first time. The national team’s victory that year was the first of six consecutive gold medals in the event between 1928 and 1956; the team won again in 1964 and 1980. Players such as Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh, Sr., Leslie Claudius, Harmanpreet Singh, and Savita Punia have significantly contributed to India’s rich hockey legacy.

Indian rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra won the men’s 10-meter air rifle competition at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He was India’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist. Other shooters from India who won Olympic medals are Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (silver, 2004 Athens, men’s double trap); Gagan Narang (bronze, 2012 London, men’s 10-meter air rifle); Vijay Kumar (silver, 2012 London, men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol); Manu Bhaker (bronze, 2024 Paris, women’s 10-meter air pistol); Sarabjot Singh and Bhaker (bronze, 2024 Paris, mixed 10-meter air pistol team); and Swapnil Kusale (bronze, 2024 Paris, men’s 50-meter rifle).

Neeraj Chopra won India’s first Olympic gold medal in the track-and-field category by winning the javelin throw event at the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chopra also won a silver medal in the same event at the 2024 Paris Games. Other prominent Indian athletes include Milkha Singh (sprinter), P.T. Usha (runner), and Anju Bobby George (long jumper).

Football is one of the most popular sports in India. It was brought to the subcontinent by British soldiers in the 19th century. Calcutta FC was the first football club to be established for Indians. Calcutta (now Kolkata) became a hub for the sport. Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan Sporting Club, and East Bengal, three of India’s most prominent football clubs, are based in the city. The Durand Cup, which is the oldest active football tournament in Asia, was first held in 1888 in what is now Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. During what sports experts consider the “golden age” of Indian football (from 1948 to 1970), the Indian team won two Asian Games gold medals (1951 and 1962) and one bronze (1970). India also finished as the runner-up in its AFC Asian Cup debut in 1964. Indian football player Sunil Chhetri, active from 2005 to 2024, is the world’s fourth highest goal scorer in international matches, with 95 goals in 154 international appearances. Other prominent Indian football figures include Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari, an early pioneer of the sport who helped found the Indian Football Association (IFA) in 1892; P.K. Banerjee, the first Indian footballer to win the Arjuna Award (India’s second highest sporting honor) in 1961 and a recipient of the FIFA Order of Merit in 2004; and Bhaichung Bhutia, who captained the Indian football team from 2000 to 2011 and is known as the “Sikkimese Sniper” because of his goal-scoring skills.

Tennis was also introduced to India during colonial rule in the 1880s. The sport has gained a dedicated following across the country, with players such as Ramanathan Krishnan and Vijay Amritraj finding success on the international stage during the 1960s and ’70s. As of 2025 Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, and Rohan Bopanna are the only Indian players to have achieved a career Grand Slam (winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles), with a collective total of 33 Grand Slam titles, all in doubles competitions. Paes also won a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Badminton is derived directly from the game poona, which was played by British army officers stationed in India in the 1860s before being popularized in England. The Badminton Association of India (BAI), established in 1899, is one of the oldest badminton governing bodies in the world. Indian badminton players have achieved considerable success on the international stage. In 1980 Prakash Padukone became the first Indian player to win the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships and to reach number one in the men’s badminton world rankings. In 2001 Pullela Gopichand became the second Indian shuttler to win the All England title. In 2018 Kidambi Srikanth became the world’s number one ranked men’s player. Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, India’s first badminton medal in the event. As of 2025 she is also the only Indian woman to be ranked world number one, achieving the feat in 2015. P.V. Sindhu won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021.

Wrestling is one of the oldest sporting activities in India, with indications that it was practiced in primitive forms as far back as 7000 bce. The art of malla-yuddha (hand-to-hand combat) is referenced in ancient classical texts such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The sport of wrestling is traditionally known by different names, such as dangal, pehlwani, gatta gusthi, and kushti in languages across India. Unlike the European practice of using soft mats, wrestling bouts in India are traditionally conducted on soft mud patches, known as akharas. India has produced many world-class wrestlers in the modern age. Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, or K.D. Jadhav, won a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, which was India’s first individual Olympic medal. Other wrestlers who have won Olympic medals are Sushil Kumar (bronze, 2008 Beijing; silver, 2012 London), Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze, 2012 London), Sakshi Malik (bronze, 2016 Rio), Ravi Kumar Dahiya (silver, 2020 Tokyo), Bajrang Punia (bronze, 2020 Tokyo), and Aman Sehrawat (bronze, 2024 Paris). Other wrestlers such as Vinesh Phogat, Babita Kumari, and Geeta Phogat have also been successful on the global stage.

The modern form of boxing was introduced to India during the British colonial period, and since then it has grown in popularity to become one of the country’s most prominent sports. Indian boxers have won three bronze medals at the Olympics: Vijender Singh at the 2008 Beijing Games, M.C. Mary Kom at the 2012 London Games, and Lovlina Borgohain at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Kom also won the World Amateur Boxing championship a record six times.

India has achieved notable success on the international weightlifting stage, winning medals at the Olympics, world championships, and Commonwealth Games. The first Indian to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting was Karnam Malleswari, who won a bronze at the 2000 Sydney Games. She also won two gold medals and one bronze medal at the 1994 World Weightlifting Championship. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu earned a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games and gold medals at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championship and the 2018, 2022 and 2026 Commonwealth Games. Kunjarani Devi has won seven silver medals at the world championships and gold medals at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. In the men’s category, Satish Sivalingam clinched gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Archery is deeply intertwined with Indian mythology, culture, and history. The feats of legendary archers such as Rama, Eklavya, and Arjuna in classic texts such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have become part of Indian folklore and mythology. Modern Indian archers have achieved success in various international competitions, including the World Archery Championships, World Cups, and the Asian Games. Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhagat, and Tarundeep Rai are some of India’s top archers.

Some of the earliest forms of chess are believed to have originated in India. Modern Indian chess players have excelled on the international stage, with Viswanathan Anand winning the World Chess Championship five times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012) and Gukesh Dommaraju winning it in 2024. India has also produced several grandmasters, such as R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Dibyendu Barua, Koneru Humpy, and Divya Deshmukh.

Cue sports have a historical connection to India. The game of snooker is said to have been invented in the late 19th century by British army officers stationed in India. Indian players have won multiple world championships in billiards and snooker. Pankaj Advani, Geet Sethi, and Sourav Kothari are counted among the top billiards and snooker players in the world.

Golf is a sport that is now growing in popularity throughout India. Historically, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established in 1829, is the oldest golf club in India and the first outside Great Britain. Indian golfers such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, and Arjun Atwal have earned recognition on the international circuit.

Media and publishing

Several thousand daily newspapers are published in India. Although English-language dailies and journals remain highly influential, the role of the vernacular press is increasing steadily in absolute and relative importance. Among the largest-circulating dailies are The Times of India and Hindustan Times (both in English), the Hindustan and the Navbharat Times (Hindi), and the Anandabazar Patrika (Bengali). Book publishing is a thriving industry. Academic titles account for a large portion of all works published, but there is also a considerable market for literature. On the whole, the press functions with little government censorship, and serious controls have been imposed only in matters of national security, in times of emergency, or when it is deemed necessary to avoid inflaming passions (e.g., after communal riots or comparable disturbances). The country’s largest news agency, the Press Trust of India, was founded in 1947. The United News of India was founded in 1961.

Radio broadcasting began privately in 1927 but became a monopoly of the colonial government in 1930. In 1936 it was given its current name, All India Radio, and since 1957 it also has been known as Akashvani. The union government provides radio service throughout the country via hundreds of transmitters. Television was introduced experimentally by Akashvani in 1959, and regular broadcasting commenced in 1965. In 1976 it was made a separate service under the name Doordarshan, later changed to Doordarshan India (“Television India”). Television and educational programming are transmitted via the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system. The country’s first Hindi-language cable channel, Zee TV, was established in 1992, and this was followed by other cable and satellite services.

There is relatively dense telephone service in most urban areas, but many rural areas remain isolated. The same is true of cellular telephones, which are common in major cities. Millions of Indian households are connected to the Internet via telephone and cable connections. There are numerous high-technology centers in the country, and India is connected to the outside world via international cables and across satellite networks.