How is dining table setting in India,Pakistan,and Sri Lanka ?? and who eats where and when ??

Question

How is dining table setting in India,Pakistan,and Sri Lanka ?? and who eats where and when ??

Answer 1

For India, I can tell you that the men eat first, and the women eat after the men are finished eating.  Mind you this is from personal experience, but other families in other cities could very well be different.  

As for the table setting, I don't know if it's really any different than in the Western world?  Perhaps a little less formal, as there isn't any of that salad fork type of stuff in one's home, but all in all it's pretty similar.

EDIT

Girl Coconutty makes an excellent point, as I completely forgot to mention the fact that in many households, people sit on the floor and eat.  And of course, table settings may lack utensils due to the fact that you eat almost everything with your hand.

Answer 2

The concept of a Dining table is relatively recent in urban Indian mid to upper middle class and  upper class households. It is also a matter of personal choice and not a requirement.

Traditional households, wealthy or not,  still prefer to dine seated on the floor, especially in southern and rural india (north and south). People generally are seated in a row in large housholds or in a U shape which allows an opening for servers to move around with ease or in a horseshoe ring -- in small households. The server moves from one to the next seated,  bending, as food is dished out, returning with seconds for those that need it. As another poster says men, children and guests, if any,  are usually served first.

Therefore,  the  western idea of place "setting" is very loosely followed even by those who do use the dining table -- seating is informal, more on a convenience basis although the father or grandfather or eldest male might have a favorite seat.

Answer 3

Now a days  dining table setting in India is almost the same as in other parts of the world.Though it might be different in rural areas where they still sit on the ground and eat.But urban or middle class people all sit together and eat.