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, but so far unsuccessfully.
What do we know about India? India is Bollywood, the beaches of Goa, 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 rarely does anyone know about the customs of India, which are observed in the country from generation to generation, leading tourists to a stupor.
Division of people into castes
Since ancient times, Indians have been divided into four castes - "Varna", which was the result of the decomposition of the communal form of life and the stratification of people into rich and poor. Caste is determined by birth, and much depends on it: who to work with, whom to marry, where to live. Transition from one caste to another and mixed marriages are prohibited. There are four main classes, including more than 2, 000 podcasts, each of which is characterized by a profession.
- Brahmanas are priests. They are considered the cream of society. In today's world, they hold the positions of spiritual dignitaries, teachers and officials.
- Kshatriyas are warriors. Protect the country. In addition to military service, representatives of this caste can work in administrative positions.
- Vaishya are farmers. Their craft is trade and cattle breeding. They are good financiers and bank employees.
- Shudras - a restrained peasant layer, serve the higher castes.
- There is a fifth group that is not officially recognized. These are the Dalits. They do dirty work: slaughtering and butchering cattle, washing toilets. 17% of the population of India belong to this caste.
Indians believe that, subject to all the rules and prohibitions, a person after death will be reborn to a higher caste. Those who do not comply with these requirements will be reduced to the social ladder. In the modern urban environment, especially among young people, such a division of people is slowly losing its significance.
Belief in Astrology
In India, astrology is officially recognized by science and is included in the curriculum at universities. Indians so believe in the influence of celestial bodies on the fate of man that before making a serious decision, for example, to marry or open a business, they turn to astrologers.
An astrologer is invited to give birth, he records the time of birth of the baby and makes him a personal horoscope. And also, according to this science, girls born on certain days are considered unsuccessful and bring death to the future spouse. To avoid this, first, the girl is “married” to any inanimate object, and then destroyed during a special ritual. And only then can she marry a man.
Marriage is not for love
In India, people get married 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 in large cities.
The choice of the bride and groom is a very long, complicated process. Horoscopes of young people are surely checked, the bride’s dowry, details of the wedding ceremony are discussed. Future spouses see each other already at the wedding, but in some families they can 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 only a formality, in many cases parents give their daughters marriage at a very young age. Divorces in Indian society are extremely rare, because they are considered a disgrace.
Death with her husband
Sati is a self-immolation ritual of a woman in Hinduism whose roots go back to antiquity. If the man was dying, then during the funeral pyre his wife should have rushed into the fire, committing suicide. It is believed that this is a voluntary act, but one should not underestimate the pressure of the public who considered it natural.
Sati tried to ban many of the rulers of India and the colonialists since the 16th century, but even today this ritual, although extremely rare, is found in modern India. Tough measures have been taken, now both instigators and ordinary observers of the sati act are found guilty, and they face a prison term.
Throwing children from the roof
Every year in December, according to the old tradition, children under two years old are thrown from the roof of temples. But do not be afraid, there are men below who hold a large coverlet. After that, the frightened child is immediately passed on to the mother.
They say that for all the time not a single baby was injured. Indians believe that this tradition will help the child grow up healthy, strong and successful. This peculiar religious holiday is accompanied by universal glee and feast. Authorities and human rights activists are trying to ban the holding of such savagery, but to no avail.
Adoration of the masculine and feminine
Lingam and yoni are symbols that represent male and female genital organs. In India they are worshiped en masse, temples are erected in their honor. There is a belief that the human soul is in yoni and if you concentrate on it, then it is possible to gain enlightenment. The most famous temple for yoni worship is located in the Assam region and is called Kamarupa. Yoni is inside the temple and is a crack in the rock.
The male principle - the 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 Kashmir, in the cave of Amarnat. In fact, it is a large stalagmite resembling the shape of a human phallus. It is so popular that Indians come to bow here from all over the world, and at the entrance to the cave, a line of thousands of followers of this cult is created.
Cow running on bedridden people and healing urine
Residents of some villages of the Madhya Pradesh province of central India are not limited to refusing food during the Ekadashi festival. The tradition that they have developed can be considered recklessness. Peasants lay down on the road, meanwhile, a herd of cows is released on them. The trampling by sacred animals, in their opinion, will bring health and longevity, material well-being, a good harvest to the house of a lying person.
And in India since ancient times they drink cow urine. It is believed that it contains almost the entire periodic table, a lot of 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. Urine should be from a virgin cow, and you need to drink it before sunrise.
Felting in leftover food
This tradition is associated with caste division, and it is more than 500 years old. The Indians believe that if you wallow in the remnants of food from the table of brahmanas, that is, the higher caste, then you can cure skin diseases, infertility and cleanse karma. Brahmanas are considered almost holy, therefore everything that they touch is also sacred, especially food.
This ritual is held in some Karnataka temples for three days during the Champa Shastha 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, as there is no evidence of curing the disease in this way, and this is breeding unsanitary conditions in the temples.
Thaipusam
According to tradition, on this Hindu festival 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 war god Murugan. And he defeated them with the demon Surapadman. And some people still pierce different parts of the body with hooks, attaching offerings to God to them.
The largest number of believers gather in the city of Palani, where the largest temple of Murugan is located. Hindus, gathered in the square, perform the kawadi 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 ascending to the temple, people remove hooks and spears. They say that they don’t feel pain, and they don’t have blood flowing from wounds, because before the holiday they fast, and during the procession they go into a trance.
