Hindu Customs

Bhajans are devotional songs that show our respect and reverence to the Gods and Goddesses. In Hinduism, Bhajans play an essential role. Most people sing Bhajans during their prayers. We can sing them from our houses, temples, riverbanks, open places, and other serene places. We can sing Bhajans alone or also with a group of people. Since the ancient Vedic period, people have been singing Bhajans to worship Gods in the temples. Sama Veda contains hymns and prayers. It is from where the Bhajans might have originated. Some beliefs state the Bhajans came from Nada Brahama. Nada refers to blissful...

Hinduism is a religion with numerous traditions and rituals. There are several practices from the Vedic age that are still in use in India. Entering temples barefoot is yet another customary practice among Hindus. Other religions and Japanese people also remove their footwear before they enter a holy place. Through this article, we will look into the significance of going to a temple barefoot.Though the origin is unclear, it has been in practice for a long time. In ancient days, people did not have any footwear. However, a few people, who belonged to the upper class, used to wear footwear...

Hinduism is a tradition with numerous rituals and customs associated with it. These practices have an in-depth connection with our physical and psychological wellbeing of a person. Sitting cross-legged on the floor to eat food is one such practice that has been in prominence in India for a long time. Through this article, we will look into the significances of eating food by sitting on the floor. We will also focus on other interesting aspects of why the practice started in India. In the ancient days, people did not have many options to have their food. The concept of chairs...

Janeyu, commonly known as Upanayana, is a sacred thread worn around the shoulder of a person. The ceremony of wearing a Janeyu is performed around the age of 12. It is an essential part of the Hindu belief system (common among Brahmins), which shows the entry of a person into a school of Hinduism. It also shows that the guru has accepted the individual under his guidance as a Shishya (student). After the guru takes the person as a student, he would lead him to the path of knowledge and wisdom. Janeyu is a symbol of spirituality as well as...

Women in India often wear toe rings after their marriage. It is also known as Bichhiya in Hindi. Women wear them in pairs in the second toe on both their feet. Toe rings are mostly available in silver. It is a symbol of showing that a woman is happily married. In most parts of India, it is a ceremony conducted during the marriage function. The husband puts the toe ring in the toes of his wife. When a woman wears toe rings, it brings her respect, joy, and prosperity. It also depicts her responsibility as a wife. For people to...

The word bangle comes from the Sanskrit word Bangri or Bangali, which means "ornaments that adorn the arms." Young women and married women in India often use bangles to enhance their beauty. Women can use bangles made from different materials. They include glass, ivory, wood, conch, and metals such as gold and silver. Bangles have been in use in India for several centuries. There are references to women wearing bangles in ancient scriptures. In stories and legends, most women wore bangles made from flowers on their wrists along with gold, terracotta, and bangles made from other materials. We can find...

Bindi is a word that comes from the Sanskrit word, Bindu, which means a point or dot. As per the ancient scriptures, Bindhu is the place where the creation of the cosmos started. We can see the concept of Bindu in the Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda. It is in the hymns of creation. Women in India commonly adorn their foreheads with a Bindi. In Hinduism, in the ancient days, married women used them as a sign of representing their status. However, in the current decade, Bindi has transformed into a fashion statement worn as a decoration by women....

The word Rangoli comes from the Sanskrit root word, Rang, which means color. It is an art form in which devotees draw patterns on the floor using colored rice, sand, or Quartz. We can make the base with powdered rice or dry flour mixed with Sindoor, Turmeric, or red brick powder. In Indian households, most of us draw Rangoli during special occasions like Diwali, Pongal, Sankranti, and Onam. It depends on the culture and tradition of a region as well. During festivals like Onam, people use flowers instead of colors to make Rangolis. In different parts of India, Rangoli has...

Atithi Devo Bhava is a Sanskrit phrase that has profound significance in India and Hinduism. In the current decade, it is a part of empowering tourism in the country. However, the concept has its origin in the ancient days. In the olden days, there was no means of communicating someone's arrival at a house. The notion of Atithi Devo Bhava originated from the unpredictability of the visitors in the past centuries. Tithi, in Sanskrit, refers to the calendar. Atithi means someone who does not have a calendar. So, Atithi is a guest who can visit us at any time. Devo...

Hinduism is a religious belief that emphasizes worshipping divine entities. Though we can offer our prayers to the deities from anywhere, most of us might find it hard to concentrate. As per the belief systems, there are four ancient periods, which include the Krta Yug, the Treta Yug, the Dvapara Yug, and the Kali Yug. The building of temples started in the Kali Yug, which began around 3102 BC. Unlike the other three periods, the Kali Yug focuses on anger, pride, and reliance on materialism. The ancient sages brought forward the concept of constructing temples as a place of worship...

Having a home altar or shrine is an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Most of us might not be able to visit a temple to offer our prayers regularly. If you have a home altar or a prayer room, you can worship the Gods and Goddesses as well as convey your devotion to the divine entity. Though there aren't any references in the ancient Hindu texts regarding the usage of home altars, it has been in use for several centuries in India. The Bhagavat Gita encourages the devotees to worship God with "loving devotion." There is another significant mention in the...

Hinduism is a religion that gives great importance to personification. We consider wind as a representation of Vaayu Deva, the Sun as a symbol of Surya Deva, and the rain as an image of Indra Deva. Similarly, pieces of equipment related to education like books, papers, pencils, musical instruments, pens, and even computers act as personifications of Saraswathi Devi, the Goddess of learning. Imparting and acquiring knowledge are two fundamental elements of Hinduism. From the ancient Vedic age to the present decade, people yearn to gain wisdom. It is a significant factor in everyone's life. In ancient India, we could...

Indian culture and tradition is deeply rooted with spiritual values, godliness and principles to evolve in life. Each custom & tradition, as prescribed by scriptures, spiritual masters and ancient seers from India has very important role in uplifting values in life. It helps us to lead a peaceful and harmonious life. Applying sindoor on the forehead of Indian married women has high value in the society. It is considered auspicious and has been practiced for ages. The parting line appearing in the middle of the head has spiritual significance also. It is an aperture in the crown of the head...

Significance of cleaning house and the living premises during Diwali is mainly to spread light, positivity and share the happiness. A clean, decorated, bright home will always attract any positive energy. People who visit your house too will feel happy and positive. A clean, naturally well decorated home will certainly create a great positive ambience. Start with the lighting at the entrance itself. Some people paint the footsteps with Goddess Lakshmi’s picture, hang different types of a toran of fresh flowers, tulsi leaves on the door, to get a traditional look. All these arrangements creates the perfect ambience for attracting...

There are a plethora of rituals embedded in Indian tradition and culture. In the ancient period, saints and learned people have associated practices that can have a positive impact on our minds and bodies with rituals and customs. The idea was to ensure that people would take part in these activities without fail, even with time. Ear piercing is one such ritual attested to Hinduism that can have a lot of benefits to our physical, emotional, and psychological selves. Here, we will be discussing the origin of ear piercing or Karna Vedha Samskara, its religious and scientific significance. Karna Vedha...

There are many rituals and traditional beliefs in every community. In India, especially in Hinduism, cutting our hair and nails on a Tuesday is inauspicious. Though there are many stories associated with it, there is no clear description available on the origin of the practice in India. Though many view these beliefs as superstitions these days, there are certainly many valid reasons that show that evading these practices can have positive benefits to our body. In ancient India, people who performed different professions had different holidays. Barbers, or people who undertake the occupation of cutting hair, had their holidays on...

If you walk any Hindu street during any festival, you will find beautiful decorative material made of fabrics hanging from the top of the door. You may also find mango leaves tied to the top of the doorframe. These are known as bandarwars. Traditionally, these are known as Torana as well, which derives its origin from Sanskrit.Torans or bandarwars have become a very integral part of Indian tradition. Almost every Hindu home hangs bandarwars outside their door during festivals. But some might wonder whether it's just for the purpose of aesthetics or is there any other reason behind the same....

Surya Arghya, or the Arghya to the Sun, is a ritual performed as a part of Hinduism. It is the offering of water to the Sun in the mornings. One can find the importance of worshipping the Sun by performing Arghya with folded hands in ancient scriptures and the Vedas. Worshipping of the Surya or Sun is an integral part of Indian culture. In Hinduism, the Sun is believed to be the creator of all the materials in the world. The Sun is also the symbol of Universal Consciousness. The offering of water to the Sun or the Surya Deva...

Pradikshna is a Sanskrit word, which means 'to the right.' In Hinduism, Buddhism, and several other religious traditions in India, it refers to the circumambulation of a sacred place. It is also known as Parikarma, which means 'the path around something." Traditionally, a person undertakes Pradikshna as a symbol of prayer, and one would go around a temple in a clockwise direction in the Pradiksna path (which is the path around the temple marked with Bali stones). Apart from temples, devotees also circumambulate around Agni or fire (as part of Hindu marriage ceremonies), peepal trees, and tulsi plants.  In Sivapurana,...

Hanging a nimbu-mirchi outside our house, our shops, or car is a very common Indian ritual. You may find homes with nimbu-mirchi hanging on the door While walking Indian streets. Now, this tradition is centuries old. Today, many people think that it is a mere superstition, While many think it has some significance attached to it. In this article, we are going to explore multiple dimensions of this tradition. We will try to find both the religious and scientific basis of this practice. So, let's start with the religious explanation first. Religious description: According to legends, Laxmi, the goddess of wellness...

Ancient Indian culture is rich with customs and traditions that makes the life enriched with principles and values. According to Hindu philosophy, every action & activity in our routine is seen as divine. Values in Indian culture teaches us to see divinity in everything. Walking itself is treated as salutation to earth considering her as Mother. The Sun, offering life energy to entire creation, without taking anything in return is regarded as one of the Gods and so on with other natural phenomenon. Human birth is considered as divine and so is the human body. The core values in Indian...

Touching the feet of an elder for seeking blessing is a very inseparable part of the Hindu culture. This practice has been followed since the Vedic times when it was known as charan sparsh (charan means feet and sparsh means to touch. If you are from India, you must have seen this practice being followed somewhere or the other. But in the name of modernity, most of our culture is getting lost. This is the time when we need to understand the reasons behind these customs. The belief system cannot work in modern society. Ancient Indian customs were born out...

This custom originated from India, and is now known across the globe. India is rich in culture and ancient traditions with a strong foundation on the principle of “oneness”. According to the principles in Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma, human beings never see the other living beings in this universe as a separate entity from them. In other words, “ekatwa” or oneness is seen in every action. In other words, it is divinity that is shown in every gestures. It means respect to other being including humans, animals, and whole of the nature. One of the basic principles in Sanatana Dharma...