Indian culture is shrouded in superstitions and folklore based on both religion and customs being passed down from generation to generation. As in a lot of Asia, luck and good fortune are highly sought after.
Astrology is also a HUGE part of every day culture here. It is taken very seriously and regarded
as an arm of physics. Before a marriage is agreed upon, horoscopes are carefully consulted to ensure that there is a match. Noone will dare to get married on any day other than the few deemed auspicious by the astrologer. As a result, hundreds of thousands of couples will get married on the same day – and we thought we had issues with wedding venues!
The guy that sits next to me at work helped me to put a list together of just some of the more bizarre customs and folklore (he even admitted that he doesn’t know why some of these things are done):
Astrology is also a HUGE part of every day culture here. It is taken very seriously and regarded
as an arm of physics. Before a marriage is agreed upon, horoscopes are carefully consulted to ensure that there is a match. Noone will dare to get married on any day other than the few deemed auspicious by the astrologer. As a result, hundreds of thousands of couples will get married on the same day – and we thought we had issues with wedding venues!The guy that sits next to me at work helped me to put a list together of just some of the more bizarre customs and folklore (he even admitted that he doesn’t know why some of these things are done):
- Add a one to every price for luck. For instance, if you are bargaining with someone (particularly in the smaller towns), you will end up paying 101 rupees for an item rather than 100.
- Don’t buy anything metal on a Saturday including jewellery. My colleague wanted to buy a new car. The weekend was the obvious time to do it but his parents insisted that although he paid for it on the Saturday, he could not pick it up until the following day
- Don’t cut your nails after sunset (???). Also, grow your baby nail REALLY long for good luck.
- Don’t wear black, especially to weddings and other celebrations
- Don’t go out if somebody sneezed (I pity the person with hayfever!)
- Hang a shoe/sandal off the rear bumper of your car to ward off the bad spirits
5 comments:
You haven't got a horoscope done for yourself yet??? Get it done in Varanasi surely. Or when you come back to Delhi. Must ensure that you are fully aware of what your future holds for you, marriage, kids et al :-)
Nearly had it done in Udai Pur but the guy wasn't there. Will have to get some recommendations of a reputable astrologer from you.
Hi! Louise,
This is Mr.Serious again....
A few comments...on your first impression of Indian God fearing or superstitious men and women or a few complicated and confusing Indian rituals.
My comments come from a) my lifelong experience as a village boy who spent 10 years of his early childhood in a remote village of north east India sans electricity, b) traveled across India because of my father's tranferable job c) subsequent travel, reading and an attempt to sensitively analyse beliefs, rituals, superstitions from social, religious,cultural and historical angle.
The space is too short to explain all the acts that have confounded you so far.
Here is a brief and humble attempt, based on what are my views..and possibly not way off the mark.
1) Not cutting nails after sunset...It was because our elders and elders all over the world had to live in near darkness after sunset till Thomas Alva Edison invented electric bulbs in late 19th century and was a household item only in 20th century. So making a culture of not cutting nails after sunset ensured that you do not hurt / cut yourself in the darkness.Nails and the accompanying dirt in it doesn't get carried inside the cooking pot or isn't swallowed by a child if its lying invisible in the light of candles and butter lamps. Old tradition is still carried on:-)
2) Not to go out of house if one sneezes....Is a more recent one..when the European goons, land grabbers brought plague from their continent. Sneezing was the first sign of fever or worse possible plague and death. Thats why the European term 'bless you' happened too. We adopted it and said..Sneeze! Hell! Thats a sign of doom before an auspicious occassion or setting out of house. Avoid.
So much for the superstitions.
On marriage front let me assure you that though parents in an arranged marriage look for horroscope matching and they are in majority...but there is a sizeable section that doesn't believe in it.
Horroscope matching is a later day adaption from medieval times and certainly doesn't find mention in our ancient Vedic literature, kamasutra, mythology or literature untill 7th century AD.
It possibly started from 11th century onwards when the priest class decided to increase their stranglehold on the most important institution called marriage.
Believe me, friend,reach out and meet the really educated Indians..not person on street and not a degrred imbecile( you will meet plenty of engineers, MBAs etc but not educated ) men & women, who have no touch with reality, culture or history.
Though rare but not extinct , You will find men & women who have their mind liberated from the shackles of illogical tradition or burden of past.
Don't get the HORROR scope done. Its neither science, nor culture or tradition...its a racket to make money by small minds from childish minds.
Yes, India had a great knowledge and expertise in Astronomy. We invented the term Zero.
But Astrology is not Astronomy. Its pure nonsense.
You will not be doing a honest factual reporting if you do not cover our views though in minority.
Cheers...keep discovering India.
Hi! Back again to add
1) Electricity is not there in many remote villages as yet. So the tradition with nails has reasons to continue.
2) Somebody growing long nails is individual and in a country of one billion plus you will find many idiosyncracies as in rest of the world.
3) Hanging shoe from the rear of a vehicle is a hangover from the time motor vehicle was introduced in our Country.Mostly in the Northern India. Today the practice is followed almost all over the country and largely by Commercial purpose Vehicles.Those who could or can afford a vehicle were / are considered rich. They were afraid that the vast majority of the poor who can not afford or have not enough to eat or wear clothes will secretly envy and thus bring ill luck through a curse. Thus the shoe is to kick or ward off the devil and those secretly envious curses.
4) Not buying metal on Saturday or Vehicle on Saturday is an individual, family or an eccentric belief followed by miniscule minority. Using simple logic....! you would then find jewellers, metal merchants and car showrooms or showrooms closed on Saturdays. Since it doesn't happen..you know its somebody's crazy thoughts...not worth finding mention in your diary.
5) Please read degrred as 'DEGREED' in my earlier comment. I was trying to say today's education is largely on acquiring a Degree mode for a lucrative job. Its not holistic and hence in my parlance those individuals are plain degreed ( learnt by memorising and passed by vomitting on answer papers ). They are not educated. They buy any 'bumkum'nonsense or propagate nonsense as profound stuff.
6) Nobody gives a rupee extra in big or small town. Somebody has fed you with baseless stories. If the shopkeeper is asking Rs 300 or Rs 200/- the buyers will try to use this emotion of adding 1 and quote Rs 51/- or Rs 101/- as is usually given in temples only to make the shopkeeper feel good. The shopkeeper is either smart enough not to buy these sentiments or sell goods worth Rs 51/- for Rs 101.
Cheers..keep writing n keep smiling
Sorry forgot to cover black on auspicious occassions
There are 3 plausible reasons........
1) In large parts of India, its extremely hot during the day so its impossible and near crazy to wear black to the temple or weddings which happen during the day.
2)Muslims love black and the Hindu forefathers who wanted to protect their culture from 11th century onwards issued dictats against black on joyous occassions.
3)Christian influence from 17th century propagated the idea that black is for mourning and hence we adaptive and accomodating Hindu Indians shun black on all auspicious occassions.
I guess your views are largely coloured by your acquaintances from the majority religion called Hinduism. India is neither monocultural nor monoreligious. Though I am a Hindu...please interact with Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians before calling it Indian.
Large majority of Muslims and very much Indians will gladly wear black on all auspicious occassions.We have the highest number of Muslims after Indonesia in the entire world...more than Pakistan.
Keep...interacting
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