Few people know that Indians have centuries-old traditions that lead a modern person to bewilderment or horror. They are honored and observed to this day. The authorities are trying to fight some of them, but so far they have been unsuccessful.
What do we know about India? India is Bollywood, Goa beaches, sacred cows, the Ganges River, densely populated slums in Mumbai, girls in saris and, of course, the famous Taj Mahal. All this appears before our eyes when we talk about this amazing country.
And few people know about the customs of India, which are observed from generation to generation in the country, leading tourists to a stupor.
Division of people into castes
Since ancient times, Indians have been divided into four castes - "varnas", which was the result of the decomposition of the communal form of life and the stratification of people into poor and rich. The caste is determined by birth, and a lot depends on it: who to work, whom to marry, where to live. Transition from one caste to another and mixed marriages are prohibited. There are four main classes with over 2,000 podcasts, each with a specific profession.
- Brahmanas are priests. They are considered the cream of society. In today's world, they hold positions of spiritual dignitaries, teachers and officials.
- The kshatriyas are warriors. Protecting the country. In addition to serving in the military, representatives of this caste can work in administrative positions.
- Vaishya are farmers. Their craft is trade and cattle breeding. They are good financiers and bankers.
- Shudras are a disadvantaged peasant stratum, serving the higher castes.
- There is a fifth group that is not officially recognized. These are the Dalits. They are engaged in dirty work: slaughtering and butchering livestock, washing toilets. 17% of India's population belongs to this caste.
Indians believe that if all the rules and prohibitions are observed, a person after death will be reborn to a higher caste. Those who do not comply with these requirements will be demoted up the social ladder. In the modern urban environment, especially among young people, such a division of people is slowly losing its meaning.
Belief in astrology
In India. Indians believe so much in the influence of celestial bodies on the fate of a person that before making a serious decision, for example, to get married or start a business, they turn to astrologers.
The astrologer is also invited to give birth, he notes the time of birth of the baby and makes it up for him. And also, according to this science, girls born on certain days are considered unlucky and bringing death to their future spouse. To avoid this, the girl is first “married off” to any inanimate object, after which it is destroyed during a special ritual. And only then can she marry a man.
Marriage is not for love
In India, people marry according to caste, religion and astrology. Often a future husband or wife is chosen by parents or older family members. Love marriages are rare and only occur in large cities.
Choosing a bride and groom is a very long and complicated process. The horoscopes of the young are necessarily checked, the bride's dowry is discussed, the details of the wedding ceremony. The future spouses see each other already at the wedding, but in some families they may allow short dates in the presence of relatives.
According to the law, girls can get married only from the age of 18, but this is just a formality, in many cases, parents marry their daughters at a very young age. Divorce is extremely rare in Indian society, as it is considered a shame.
Death with her husband
Sati is a ritual of self-immolation of a woman in Hinduism, the roots of which go back to antiquity. If a man died, then during the funeral pyre, his wife had to throw herself into the fire, committing suicide. …
Many Indian rulers and colonialists tried to ban sati since the 16th century, but even today this ritual, although extremely rare, is found in modern India. Tough measures have been taken, now both the instigators and ordinary observers of the act of sati are found guilty, and they face a prison term.
Throwing kids off the roof
Annually in December according to an old custom. But fear not, there are men below, holding a large veil. After that, the frightened child is immediately handed over to the mother.
They say that not a single baby has suffered in all the time. Indians believe that this tradition will help a child grow up healthy, strong and successful. This peculiar religious holiday is accompanied by general jubilation and a feast. The authorities and human rights activists are trying to ban the conduct of such savagery, but to no avail.
Male and female worship
Lingam and yoni are symbols representing male and female genital organs. In India, they are massively worshiped, temples are erected in their honor. There is a belief that the soul of a person is in the yoni and if you concentrate on it, then it is possible to gain enlightenment. The most famous temple for worshiping yoni is located in the Assam region and is called. Yoni is located inside the temple and is a crack in the rock.
The masculine principle - lingam - is worshiped by women who suffer from infertility and followers of the god Shiva. They bring the image of the male organ of the victim in the form of flowers, fruits and pour it with milk or water. The most famous lingam is located in, in a cave. In reality, it is a large stalagmite that resembles the shape of a human phallus. It is so popular that Indians from all over the world come to worship here, and a line of thousands of followers of this cult is formed at the entrance to the cave.
Cow run on recumbent people and healing urine
Inhabitants of some villages in Madhya Pradesh province in central India go beyond refusing to eat during Ekadashi. The tradition that they have developed can be considered reckless. The peasants lie down on the road, meanwhile a herd of cows are released onto them. Trampling by sacred animals, in their opinion, will bring health and longevity, material well-being, and a good harvest to the house of a lying person.
And also in India for a long time. It is believed that it contains almost the entire periodic table, many vitamins, minerals, enzymes, extremely beneficial to health. Hindus believe that urine is the prevention of many diseases, including cancer. This drink is mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures. The urine must be from a virgin cow and must be drunk before sunrise.
Felting in leftover food
This tradition is associated with caste division, and it is more than 500 years old. Indians believe that if you wallow in the remnants of food from the table of brahmanas, that is, the highest caste, you can cure skin diseases, infertility and purify karma. so everything they touch is also sacred, especially food.
This ritual is performed in some temples in Karnataka state for three days during the Champa Shasthi festival. On the territory of the temple, the remains of food and plantain leaves are scattered in advance. Then anyone can come here and lie on the remnants of food. The Indian government wants to ban this tradition, since there is no evidence of curing diseases in this way, and this creates unsanitary conditions in the temples.
Taipusam
According to tradition, on this Hindu holiday, it is customary to pierce the subject's tongue with a wooden or metal knitting needle. She symbolizes the sacred spear of the goddess Parvati, which she gave to the god of war Murugan. And he defeated the demon Surapadman with it. And some people still pierce different parts of the body with hooks, tying offerings to God.
The largest number of believers gathers in the city where the largest temple is located. Hindus, gathered in the square, perform the kavadi dance in gratitude to Murugan, asking for his protection and help. Then everyone goes to the temple, carrying gifts to God in the form of a jug of milk. After walking several kilometers and going up to the temple, hooks and spears are removed from people. They say that they do not feel pain, and they do not bleed from their wounds, because before the holiday they fast, and during the procession they go into a trance.
Girls are killed for dowry in India
The tradition of giving a dowry for the bride is obligatory in all castes, regardless of their financial situation. The inability of the girl's family to give "dauri" is a shame, and the larger the dowry, the more respected the family. Usually, the groom's relatives ask for a tidy sum of money in an attempt to improve their position in society. Plus, they give a list where household appliances are included, a car of a certain brand. The husband's family may ask for more money the day before the wedding, or they may demand it for many years, for example, for expenses related to the birth of children.
… The worst outcome is when wives are simply killed in order to marry a son again to a rich bride. Unfortunately, because of money in India, one girl dies every hour. Since 1983, the country's Criminal Code has considered the extortion of a dowry as a serious crime, but age-old traditions are difficult to eradicate only by laws.
There are many traditions in India that are incomprehensible to us. But Indians believe in them sacredly. Therefore, before traveling to India, it is better to familiarize yourself with their customs so as not to get into an awkward situation.
