Traditional greeting ceremony
Buddha Travel Network India Pilgrimage Trip When Indians meet acquaintances and guests, they clasp their hands together in front of their chests and say "Yes" with a smile. Namaste. This is a traditional greeting gift in India. "Namasday" is a word in Hindi that expresses auspiciousness and respect. When Indians meet the person they respect most, they have to perform a foot-touching ceremony, that is, after meeting, they bend down and touch the other person's feet, and then touch their own forehead. This is the highest courtesy shown to those you respect.
Modern city residents are more likely to shake hands when meeting each other. But it must be noted that you must never extend your left hand to shake hands with others, because Indians believe that the left hand is unclean (use your left hand to scoop up water to clean up excrement when going to the toilet), and shaking hands with the left hand is considered disrespectful to people. and insult.
Indian homes generally have a carpet. Guests and hosts sit cross-legged on the floor, that is, "sitting in lotus position", with their feet crossed and stacked on top of their legs, with their hands on both sides. on lap. Nowadays, urban residents use sofas and chairs more, but many people still like to sit cross-legged on the sofa.
Head shaving ceremony
According to traditional customs, Hindu families hold a shaving ceremony when a boy turns three years old.
Priests, barbers, relatives and friends should be invited to participate in the hair-shaving ceremony. The parents carry their children into the colorful shed set up and place them next to them. The ceremony is presided over by the priest, who draws a square around the boy, draws patterns with red sand, and sprinkles rice. The boy is then asked to sit next to the picture and his hair is shaved by the barber. In the tonsure ceremony of Hindus, all the hair is not shaved off, but a strand of hair is retained.
Baby Naming Ceremony
After the baby is born, the parents will give the baby a beautiful, auspicious and beautiful name after careful consideration and consideration. After the name is chosen, the parents will hold a naming ceremony on the tenth day after the child is born.
Before the ceremony, the room should be cleaned and the mother and baby should take a bath. After the religious ceremony, the baby's mother wrapped the baby in a clean cloth and handed it to the baby's father. The father holds the baby close to his chest and tells the child that he is naming him. The mother prayed to the sun. Then the father puts it in the baby's ear: "You are a believer in God, and your name is ×××." At this time, the priests and relatives and friends present will say: "This is a beautiful name." Then the priest gives the baby bless. After the baby's parents entertained the priests and relatives and friends for a meal, everyone dispersed.
Wearing a holy thread – a symbol of the upper castes
In India, you can often see some men wearing white coils on their wrists. This is the sacred thread worn by the upper castes of Hinduism. According to regulations, only the three castes of Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas have the right to wear sacred threads. Daudara and untouchables are not allowed to wear sacred threads. The holy thread is made of three strands of thread. Brahmin boys wear cotton holy thread, Kshatriya boys wear linen holy thread, and Vaishya boys wear woolen holy thread. A ceremony is held when a boy wears the holy thread for the first time. Generally, the Brahmin priest recites scriptures and puts the sacred thread on the boys.
Boy Apprenticeship Ceremony
Hinduism divides a person's life into four stages, also known as the "four travel stages", namely: the Brahma travel stage, the home stage, the forest dwelling stage and the retreat stage. .
Hindu boys also hold the apprenticeship ceremony and the Dharma ceremony between the ages of 5 and 8. This is a ceremony held for boys to worship a religious mentor and leave home to receive religious training. At the beginning of the apprenticeship ceremony, the parents have to bathe and shave the head of the apprentice boy, and accept the clothes given by the teacher for leaving home to practice asceticism, including a fig leaf.
The teacher recited scriptures orally and gave clothes to the boys who were apprentices. Then he presented a straw belt, a holy belt, animal skin clothing, wooden sticks and other items to the boy. After that, the teacher picked up a stick of water and poured it into the hands of the apprentice boy, which symbolized the teacher imparting knowledge to the students. A boy who becomes a teacher has to pray to the sun before he can be accepted as his student by the teacher. The teacher recited the sun scripture in front of the students: "This is reality, this is wisdom, this is light, we have bright sunshine. It is fire, igniting our intelligence and wisdom." After the apprenticeship ceremony, the boy He was sent to the tutor's home, lived with the tutor, studied the Vedas, studied the Upanishads, and received training in various precepts. It was not until the end of the "Brahmacara period" (about 12 years) that he could return home, live a secular life, and begin the household period.
Taboos in dating in India
There are many taboos in many areas of India.
Villages in Tamil Nadu are taboo about numbers and believe that one, three and seven are unlucky and try to avoid saying these numbers in daily life. There are also many taboos about having children. For example, it is believed that giving birth to a girl in the fourth child will lead to bankruptcy, while giving birth to a girl in the fifth child will make the family rich. Breastfeeding children cannot look in the mirror. It is said that if they look in the mirror, they will become mute. A child's first deciduous tooth should be wrapped in a ball of cow dung and placed on the roof.
There are also many taboos against pregnant women, such as not being allowed to take photos or make clothes during pregnancy.
There are also many taboos when traveling far away. If you see a Varuna bird circling above your head when you go out, it is a sign of good fortune. Meeting flowers or jars filled with water is also auspicious; seeing cows, parrots, deer, umbrellas, fruits, bees, elephants, and hearing bells, hawks' calls, and chanting are all symbols of auspiciousness.
Meeting snakes, cats, widows, beggars, hearing sneezing or other unpleasant sounds, slipping or hitting your head against a frame, etc. are considered unlucky and you should go home immediately. Take a break and drink some water before heading out again.