Families of India - Lake County

India has the second largest population in the world, behind China, with 1.07 billion residents. India is roughly one-third the size of the United States. The basic social unit in India is the family, which takes precedence over the individual. Traditional marriages are still arranged by parents, often with the consent of the bride and groom. About 80 percent of Indians are Hindu. Officially Hinduism is not a religion but a "way of life." Vegetarianism is widely practiced, often for religious reasons. Corinne Powell participated in a three week Purdue University Study Abroad program to India July/August 2006. In this program, she will talk about and show pictures of families and their villages to illustrate what she saw and learned about the Indian culture during her stay.