ABSTRACT
India is a country of diverse cultures. A spatial unit in a given period of time will develop particular cultural traits if it remains relatively isolated from other units. The areal extent of each religious group is one important spatial aspect of the study of religion. The problems of regional language diversity remain some of the most vexing difficulties facing India as it attempts to achieve national unity. Although the regional culture may be expressed through many facets, ultimately it is language which most effectively reveals regional differences. The pattern of religious adherence is related to historical developments which reflect North-South cultural differences. Thus the social polarization of the Hindus in the South was minimal compared to the North. Thus, in South India both Hindu and Muslim marriage relationships are less authoritarian, whereas in North India the proportion of authoritarian traits is greater among Hindus than Muslims.
