Simultaneously pedalling his bicycle furiously and ringing the bell, a young Indian boy avoided colliding with me as his passenger, a legless beggar slung into the basket suspended from the handlebars shouted "I am going faster than you".

This happened years ago as I was walking along a road in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. Perhaps this indomitable spirit epitomises a culture where competition for survival is fierce and a caste system results in a multilayered society commemorating its heroes and celebrating its arts and crafts on every level.

With its ancient scripture the Vedas dating from over 4 000 years ago, many religions are practised in a democracy where temples, mosques and Christian churches co-exist in cosmopolitan cities with satellite dishes and security enclosed luxury homes cocooning the privileged from harsh social realities.

In India, as in so many countries east of Africa there are few social benefits for those who do not work.

Dr Percival Spear has written a classic study of the Mughal and British periods in his History of India Volume Two, which spans the 16th to the 20th centuries where he views the Mughal rule as preparation for the modern age ushered in by the British, which acted as a catalyst for the transformation of India that is still in progress.

Historians and travel writers like William Dalrymple and Alice Albinia also share invaluable insights about a culture they have come to know and love on an intimate basis.

Visually, India's architecture provides cultural narratives in the form of its decorative motif, statuary and reliefs at ancient temples which provide instruction, historical documentation and information about her religious mythology that are testaments to fine craft and workmanship.

Even the sometimes garish multitiered gopura or gate to the South Indian temple complex contains a wealth of information introducing a pantheon of Hindu deities, of which the triad of great gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. To this day, miniature painters at the palace in Udaipur in Rajasthan grind natural mineral pigments for their fine craft which rivals the masterpieces in the palace collection for exquisite detail.

The ornate inlay of semi-precious stone into marble at landmarks like the Red Fort in Delhi and Taj Mahal in Agra showcases breathtaking skill by craftsmen who used their hands to break, shape, polish and assemble designs that still impress visitors with their beauty.

Next year South Africa's Indian community will celebrate 150 years since their arrival - many as indentured labour - on South African shores.

Cultural links with India have been maintained through associations that encourage the continuing practise of traditional dance, music, language and religion. Public performances and festivals featuring leading Indian entertainers - both classic and contemporary - promote public awareness of the community's customs and heritage.

The types of dance are varied, including one of the oldest forms of South Indian dance called Bharatanatyam, which is a tradition originating from times when women were dedicated to temples and the stylised dance movements resemble apsaras (dancing nymphs) and mithuna (intertwined amorous couples) that can be seen at religious temples throughout India.

Recent Diwali celebrations in Cape Town showcased vigorous traditional regional dances performed by local dancers and musicians with visitors from overseas.

Colourful regional costumes featuring the intricacy of tie-dyed, diaphanous fabrics gave a glimpse of design and textile heritage boasting craftsmanship that, over time, has assimilated influences from other countries, resulting in an ornate legacy including Chinese and Persian motifs among others.

This is particularly enlightening in a country where calendars and dating systems were not uniform in the past.

The culturally proactive programme promoted by India's representatives abroad is admirable, embracing many communities and providing assistance through a "know India" programme for young Indian people who wish to visit and learn about their mother country.

Wife to the Cape Town head of the High Commission of India, Oxford educated Sumita Goyal Kumar is a nutritionist and dietician who has accompanied her husband during official postings to Morocco and London.

She tells me about her large Indian extended family and the effect of multicultural influences during her childhood in Delhi, where she lived in a Muslim neighbourhood and attended a Catholic convent.

As a Hindu, this exposure to many belief systems broadened her experience without diluting a heritage of strong family tradition which she and her husband, Mridul Kumar, continue. What such a culturally diverse awareness has fostered is tolerance and a generosity of spirit that she encourages her children to emulate.

Vegetarian by choice and an accomplished cook, she generously volunteered an impressive list of natural remedies for ailments which I diligently noted.

Her talents also find expression in painting and traditional decorating for occasions such as Diwali when she makes the traditional flower petal carpets known as Rangoli.

She decorates with outlined white chalk patterning called Alponas, frequently seen at entrances to homes in India and enthusiastically tells me about the abundant range of Indian textiles specifically designed for each season.

She loves reading romance such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and it's surprising that with her busy programme of official duties and seeing to the upbringing of two young daughters, she gets time to read at all.

Perhaps her most telling statement comes when we touch on the subject of humanitarian Mohandas Gandhi and she tells me that she "wishes we had more Gandhis to send to South Africa".

Self-sufficiency certainly seems an idea worth adopting through responsible, eco-friendly productivity, which would certainly ease many current social woes worsened by the global economic recession.