Indian women occupy a very special position in her home and the society. All important decisions pertaining to the home are taken by her, which she puts across to the eldest decision-making member of the family. He/she then invites a meeting or initiates a debate to arrive at a conclusion. Since in India, it is considered the responsibility of the womenfolk to look after home, their advice and decisions are respected and taken very seriously by their kin.
Infact, women have always commanded a position of respect in the Indian society and are treated with full dignity by Indian men. There are evidences that women even participated in the running of the administration in the earlier days. Like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, there were also other women rulers, who fought on the battlefield courageously. Even today, there are many noteworthy women administrators in our country.
Infact, women have always commanded a position of respect in the Indian society and are treated with full dignity by Indian men. There are evidences that women even participated in the running of the administration in the earlier days. Like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, there were also other women rulers, who fought on the battlefield courageously. Even today, there are many noteworthy women administrators in our country.
In present day India, we have the likes of tennis player Sania Mirza, actress Aishwarya Rai, NRI film director Meera Nair, who have made the country proud at the international level. With more and more Indian women achieving great feats these days, the general perception and treatment towards them is slowly changing for the better. All these have led to an enhancement of the social position of the women in India.
Fasting in India:-
Keeping a fast is an integral part of the Indian culture and tradition. It basically connotes willingly abstaining oneself from eating certain or any kind of food, drink or both. It is known as Vrat in Indian households. The period of fasting also varies i.e. it could be partial or prolong for 24 hours. Some people of certain Indian religious sects like the Jains are known to keep a fast for weeks at a stretch, though this type of religious fasting has now been banned in India. Though people in India may keep a fast for varied reasons, the most important ones pertain to religion and spiritual aspects.
There are mentions about fasting in many Indian religious scriptures. As per most Hindu sacred books like the Bhagwad Gita and others, fasting helps create an attunement with the Absolute by establishing a harmonious relationship between the body and the soul. One is expected to live piously, give charity and refrain from eating non-vegetarian food whenever observing fast for a spiritual or religious purpose in India. Our religious scriptures state fasting is not only a part of worship, but a great instrument for inculcating self-discipline too.
Apart from certain Hindu festivals like Shivratri, Karva Chauth and so on, there are specific days on which Indians keep fast from varied reasons. For instance, people fast on Tuesdays for Lord Hanuman, the Indian monkey God. On Fridays, the devotees of the Goddess Santoshi Mata abstain from taking anything citric. There is also another type of fasting when people forego taking all cereals and eat only fruits. Such fasting is called Phalahar. However, there are many others who keep a fast solely for maintaining good health.
People also fast these days for health reasons because fasting helps in the detoxification of the body. Everyone wants to look good and fit these days. As such, you will find many youngsters in India fasting. In medical context, fasting refers to the state achieved after digestion of a meal. A number of metabolic adjustments occur during fasting and many medical diagnostic tests are standardized to fasting conditions. Thus fasting has both religious and medical significance in India.
Beliefs and Superstitions:-
No matter which part of the world you tour, you will find the natives nurturing certain beliefs and superstitions and India is no exception in this case. Though the Indian society is fast progressing, there are many people who are still superstitious and have a strong faith in the local beliefs. While some of them are quite hilarious, few others are really interesting, as many aspects of life are linked to them. Few beliefs even find their way into the Indian religious texts and scriptures.
The standard viewpoint is that most of the Indian beliefs and values have sprung with an objective to protect from evil spirits, but some were based on scientific reasoning. With the passage of time, the reasoning part behind the origin of these cultural beliefs and superstitions got eroded. That is exactly why most of these beliefs appear unsubstantiated and false. However, in reality, there are many such beliefs in the Indians culture which are absolutely absurd and have no logic behind them.
Superstitions are deemed as pertinent in India because these, generally, hint at future occurrences and can be either good or bad. Thus, anything from the call of a bird to the falling of utensils is considered an omen in India. Many of the traditional superstitions in India are connected with animals, birds and reptiles. For instance, seeing an elephant when one is leaving for a journey is considered lucky. This is because an elephant represents Lord Ganesha, the Indian God who is the harbinger of good luck and removes obstacles.
Similarly, other auspicious signs could be cawing of a black crow in one's house, as it forecasts the arrival of guests. Seeing a peacock on a journey is also considered lucky, but hearing its shrill sound is bad. Indians feel happy if a sparrow builds a nest in a new house because it signals good fortune. A very old belief is that if you kill a cat, you have to offer one in gold to a priest. This belief or superstition was concocted by the priests to protect the cats, which are useful in killing the rats in people's houses.
Leaving one's home after wedding or for some other important task is a significant occasion. Thus, Indians often consult astrological charts to fix an auspicious time for this. Again, it is considered lucky to see cereals, paddy, cotton, hay or a newly wed before embarking on a journey. In India, you may also come across or hear about people who help in interpreting other's dreams. Even the daily life of Indians is governed by beliefs and superstitions. For example, Monday is not an auspicious day for shaving and Thursday is a bad day for washing one's hair.
Touching Feet:-
Those who do not know much about the Indian culture and tradition get very baffled when they see children in India touching the feet of their elders. This is, infact, the commonest Indian gesture and touching someone's feet means the person who is doing the act is showing his respect and subservience to the one whose feet he/she is touching. However, one important aspect related to this gesture is that the person's whose feet is being touched is always superior in age and position.
Touching elders' feet is the first lesson in manners and etiquette that all Indian children are taught. So, generally, one is supposed to touch the feet of a person if he/she happens to be an elder member of the family or a respected spiritual person. Since Indians normally live in joint families, this gesture is performed by the sons and daughter-in-laws for their parents and grand parents. Though very young children are guided by their parents to learn this gesture, the comparatively elder ones are expected to do it spontaneously.
In Indian culture, there are specific occasions when a person is expected to touch his / her elders' feet. These occasions include before one is departing for or arriving back from a journey, weddings, religious and festive occasions, etc. In earlier times, it was a like a custom in India for youngsters to touch their parents' feet first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Though there are many who still follow this rule, the truth is that the tradition is now slowly waning away with time.
When an elder person's feet are being touched, he /she, in turn, is supposed to touch the head of the person doing the act and bless him /her for long life, fortune and prosperity. Interestingly, the act of touching feet gets somewhat intensified during certain occasions. For instance, many people prefer prostrating before the deities in temples or before persons of high rank spiritually and even politically. Touching the feet is an integral part of the Indian culture and tradition and not adhering to it by natives is considered as disrespectful.
Touching elders' feet is the first lesson in manners and etiquette that all Indian children are taught. So, generally, one is supposed to touch the feet of a person if he/she happens to be an elder member of the family or a respected spiritual person. Since Indians normally live in joint families, this gesture is performed by the sons and daughter-in-laws for their parents and grand parents. Though very young children are guided by their parents to learn this gesture, the comparatively elder ones are expected to do it spontaneously.
In Indian culture, there are specific occasions when a person is expected to touch his / her elders' feet. These occasions include before one is departing for or arriving back from a journey, weddings, religious and festive occasions, etc. In earlier times, it was a like a custom in India for youngsters to touch their parents' feet first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Though there are many who still follow this rule, the truth is that the tradition is now slowly waning away with time.
When an elder person's feet are being touched, he /she, in turn, is supposed to touch the head of the person doing the act and bless him /her for long life, fortune and prosperity. Interestingly, the act of touching feet gets somewhat intensified during certain occasions. For instance, many people prefer prostrating before the deities in temples or before persons of high rank spiritually and even politically. Touching the feet is an integral part of the Indian culture and tradition and not adhering to it by natives is considered as disrespectful.
Namaste:-
The moment you step into India, in all probability, the first word you will get to hear will be Namaste! Namaste, also said as Namaskar by the natives, is a traditional Indian style of greeting or parting phrase as well as a gesture. Derived from the Sanskrit language, the literal definition/meaning of the word Namaste is "I bow to you". If you want to dig deeper to know what does Namaste mean, you can it break up into two Sanskrit words - Namas (meaning - to bow) and Te (meaning - to you). Thus, its real connotation is 'I bow to you out of respect'.
Namaste happens to be both a formal and an informal form of greeting in India and you can say this to anyone irrespective of age. Normally when you say Namaskar to anybody, you press both your palms together with all the fingers pointing upwards in front of your chest. At the same time, you also bow your head slightly, looking at the person you are saying Namaste to. Even if you simply perform the Namaste gesture with your hands without actually saying the word, it will mean the same thing.
Though saying Namaste to others in daily lives is a part of the Indian protocol, yet many believe it also has religious / spiritual connotation. According to this school of thought, when you greet Namaste, you actually seek to recognize a common divinity within the other person. Interestingly, Namaste can be said in different ways, depending crucially on the person you are saying it to. For instance, when you greet your friend or peer, the traditional style Namaste will suffice.
On the other hand, when it's a person greeting Namaste to another person of a higher status, this gesture will get intensified. To indicate genuine and deep respect for the other person, you place the hands in front of the forehead. Whereas, you have to pay reverence to God or a holy person then, this feeling can be transmitted through the Namaste gesture by holding / placing the pressed hands above the head. Some natives prostrate on the ground in this posture to show their deep respect and love to God.
The symbolism of the two palms touching each other is of great significance. It is the joining together of two extremities - the feet of the Divine, with the head of the devotee. Yet another theory associates the Namaste greeting with a particular mudra or posture in yoga. However, Namaste being a polite gesture of love and respect can be said to anybody. But traditionally, it's a Hindu gesture and people of this community greet each other this way only.
Arranged Marriage:-
The traditional arranged marriage has long been an integral part of the Indian culture. As against love marriage, it is the concept in which the parents and family members search for the prospective bride or the groom, through their acquaintances or advertisements in newspapers and marriage portals. In the earlier times, with everything being fixed by family members, the bride and groom used to be practically clueless about the person they were marrying. Today the arranged marriage system of India has become more flexible.
Taking the consent of the boy and the girl before marriage is important now. They meet each other before marriage, gauge their compatibility & if everything fits, they get engaged. The duration between marriage and engagement may vary from fifteen days to over a year. During this period, a lot of activities take place in the bride's as well as the groom's families. It is also during this time only that meetings, ceremonies and constant contact over the phone help the bride and the groom-to-be to know and understand each other better.
Generally, there are several factors like compatibility of the to-be-couples' horoscopes, family background, wealth, social standing, caste and so on, which are taken into consideration by the parents of both sides under arranged marriages. The institution of marriage is considered very sacred in the Indian subcontinent. So, the parents think that since they are older and thus, wiser, they can take better decisions in comparison to their progeny. Though this system of marriage is on the decline in urban India, it's still strong in the rural regions.
The strict adherence to the Hindu customs is what compels Indians to go through such a lengthy process for fixing up a marriage. Marriage in the Indian society is considered so auspicious that not just the day, but also the time of the marriage is fixed as per the astrological charts of both the bride and the groom. In Hindus, the marriage ceremony takes place during the night and stretches over approximately five-six hours. A priest is summoned to preside over the marriage, which is attended by the all the family members, relatives and friends.
There is a lot of festivity and merry making before and after the marriage is fixed. Elaborate trousseau, jewellery and gift shopping is done by the families of both the bride and the groom. The wedding is performed as per the rules stipulated by the Vedic rites and rituals. The groom pledges to fulfill the bride's smallest of small desires, to the best of his ability. Both of them promise to be faithful to each other. She, in turn, is to treat him as her lord and master, her guide and advisor and be with him, through good and bad, for the rest of her life.
The traditional arranged marriage has long been an integral part of the Indian culture. As against love marriage, it is the concept in which the parents and family members search for the prospective bride or the groom, through their acquaintances or advertisements in newspapers and marriage portals. In the earlier times, with everything being fixed by family members, the bride and groom used to be practically clueless about the person they were marrying. Today the arranged marriage system of India has become more flexible.
Taking the consent of the boy and the girl before marriage is important now. They meet each other before marriage, gauge their compatibility & if everything fits, they get engaged. The duration between marriage and engagement may vary from fifteen days to over a year. During this period, a lot of activities take place in the bride's as well as the groom's families. It is also during this time only that meetings, ceremonies and constant contact over the phone help the bride and the groom-to-be to know and understand each other better.
Generally, there are several factors like compatibility of the to-be-couples' horoscopes, family background, wealth, social standing, caste and so on, which are taken into consideration by the parents of both sides under arranged marriages. The institution of marriage is considered very sacred in the Indian subcontinent. So, the parents think that since they are older and thus, wiser, they can take better decisions in comparison to their progeny. Though this system of marriage is on the decline in urban India, it's still strong in the rural regions.
The strict adherence to the Hindu customs is what compels Indians to go through such a lengthy process for fixing up a marriage. Marriage in the Indian society is considered so auspicious that not just the day, but also the time of the marriage is fixed as per the astrological charts of both the bride and the groom. In Hindus, the marriage ceremony takes place during the night and stretches over approximately five-six hours. A priest is summoned to preside over the marriage, which is attended by the all the family members, relatives and friends.
There is a lot of festivity and merry making before and after the marriage is fixed. Elaborate trousseau, jewellery and gift shopping is done by the families of both the bride and the groom. The wedding is performed as per the rules stipulated by the Vedic rites and rituals. The groom pledges to fulfill the bride's smallest of small desires, to the best of his ability. Both of them promise to be faithful to each other. She, in turn, is to treat him as her lord and master, her guide and advisor and be with him, through good and bad, for the rest of her life.
Indian Funeral Traditions:-
The time after the death or passing away of a person in India is given a lot of importance. As per the Hindu Holy Scripture like the Bhagwat Gita, it is believed that the soul of the person who has just passed away is on its way to the next level of existence at such a time. As such, it is with an intention to help the departed soul in a peaceful crossover to that next level of his /her existence, that Indians observe so many death rites and rituals.
One such Hindu death ceremony is the Teravih. It is a period of mourning observed by Indian people, starting from the day of the death of a particular person, whether male, female or children, to the 13th day after his /her funeral. During teravih death ritual, there are many rules that the family members of the deceased have to observe. For instance, they are not supposed to attend religious functions, eat certain foods like sweets, wear new clothes or participate in any cultural activity or festivity.
The basic idea behind the Indians' following all these funeral traditions is to show reverence to the deceased person. Normally during this time, all the family members share each others sorrows and pray, so that the soul of the deceased person rests peacefully. Though it's basically during teravih that the death rites are strictly observed, but traditionally, the death rites in Hindu religion extend up to a year.
At the end of one year, all elderly members of the deceased person gather once again for the Shraad ceremony. The 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day after the death of the person are also important, as all relatives gather to have a meal of the deceased's favorite foods. A small amount of the food is offered before his /her photo and later, it is ceremonially left at an abandoned place, along with a lit diya. However, there may be slight variations in the way people of different religious sect observe this death rite.
Indian Lifestyle:-
Punjabi, Marathi, Bihari, Bengali, Assamese, Nepali, Gujrati, Kashmiri…. Though India consists of diverse ethnic races and groups and each of them strictly adhere to their own set of customs and tradition, yet there is a common lifestyle pattern followed by almost all the Indians. This, despite the fact that there is so much variation in their language, dressing style and custom! Read on to know about the life of people in the country and what traits put them together under the brand 'India':
Joint Family System
A majority of the people in India prefer to live in a joint family, which could comprise anywhere between a group of two or more members to even over 20 members sometimes. As per the Indian way of living, the commanding position in a family is held by the eldest earning male member. He consults other adult members on important issues, but it is his decision that ultimately prevails. However, a lot of importance is also given to the advice of the eldest retired members of the family.
Women as Homemaker
As per the lifestyle of the Indian people, it is the duty of a woman to take care of her home. As such, from her very childhood, a girl child is taught to rustle up mouth-watering dishes by her mother and other ladies in her family. She is also taught to attend to guests and strangers politely and elegantly because it is thought to greatly reflect upon her upbringing. Hers is a 24x7 job, yet she manages to execute it smoothly and is respected for this quality.
Worshipping
Worshipping is an important part of the daily life of Indian people. You will find the holy basil tulsi planted in maximum houses, which people water as well as worship everyday religiously. Many Indians are associated to various religious sects and attend weekly gatherings to listen to the sermons. Apart from temples, mosques and gurdwaras, there will also invariably be a personal place for worship, and pictures of Gods and Goddesses, in every house in India.
Respecting Elders
One common trait you will find amongst Indians is that children show utmost respect to their elders. Now this is one habit all Indian parents deliberately inculcate in their children, since beginning. It is an unsaid rule in India that a person cannot answer back to elders and more so, when he/she is at fault. It is deemed disrespectful in India to refer to an elder by his / her name. Instead people prefer calling them uncle and aunt, especially if the person is very elderly. It is also customary in India for the youngsters to touch the feet of their elders as a way of greeting as well as on important occasions.
Joint Family System
A majority of the people in India prefer to live in a joint family, which could comprise anywhere between a group of two or more members to even over 20 members sometimes. As per the Indian way of living, the commanding position in a family is held by the eldest earning male member. He consults other adult members on important issues, but it is his decision that ultimately prevails. However, a lot of importance is also given to the advice of the eldest retired members of the family.
Women as Homemaker
As per the lifestyle of the Indian people, it is the duty of a woman to take care of her home. As such, from her very childhood, a girl child is taught to rustle up mouth-watering dishes by her mother and other ladies in her family. She is also taught to attend to guests and strangers politely and elegantly because it is thought to greatly reflect upon her upbringing. Hers is a 24x7 job, yet she manages to execute it smoothly and is respected for this quality.
Worshipping
Worshipping is an important part of the daily life of Indian people. You will find the holy basil tulsi planted in maximum houses, which people water as well as worship everyday religiously. Many Indians are associated to various religious sects and attend weekly gatherings to listen to the sermons. Apart from temples, mosques and gurdwaras, there will also invariably be a personal place for worship, and pictures of Gods and Goddesses, in every house in India.
Respecting Elders
One common trait you will find amongst Indians is that children show utmost respect to their elders. Now this is one habit all Indian parents deliberately inculcate in their children, since beginning. It is an unsaid rule in India that a person cannot answer back to elders and more so, when he/she is at fault. It is deemed disrespectful in India to refer to an elder by his / her name. Instead people prefer calling them uncle and aunt, especially if the person is very elderly. It is also customary in India for the youngsters to touch the feet of their elders as a way of greeting as well as on important occasions.
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