Country Info
We will be flying into Hyderabad and driving to Nandyal - our home base - in southeastern India. Nandyal is a city of about 151,700 people in the western part of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Our ministry, however, will focus on ten smaller villages, all within an hour's drive from Nandyal.
Religion
The Constitution of India declares the nation to be a secular state, that must allow citizens to freely practice any religion of their choosing. The bad news is that more than four-fifths of India chooses to practice Hinduism, and Islam is the most dominant minority religion. Only 2% of Indians currently claim Christ as their Lord and Savior.
In Andhra Pradesh, 89% of the population is Hindu, 9% is Muslim, and 1% is Christian.
Climate
India has four seasons: winter (January and February), summer (March to May), monsoon (June to September), and post-monsoon (October to December). India's monsoon season is considered the Earth's most significant wet season, but is strongest in the southwest.
Castes
The caste system (jati) ranks society. Some Hindu reformers have tried to outlaw it, and many claim it has no real influence on modern Indian society. The lives of lower caste members, however, suggest the system is more deeply ingrained than some would like to believe.
There are four varnas, or classes:
- Brahmins (priests), believed to have come from Brahma's mouth
- Kshatriyas (ruling class), made from Brahma's arms
- Vaishyas (merchants), came from Brahma's thighs
- Shudras (unskilled labourers), came from Brahma's feet
Then there are the untouchables (dalits) who are too lowly to be considered part of the caste system.
