Indian beliefs and superstitions are passed down from generation to generation. These faiths have sprung with an objective to protect from evil spirits, but some were based on scientific reasoning. Astrology is an integral part of Indian culture. Even today many people prefer to do good things such as entering a newly made home (Gruhapravesha) , fixing a marriage proposal, fixing a marriage date, entry of a bride to her new home, starting a new business etc, according to their astrological belief.
What is superstition?
According to dictionary, superstition is a belief in something not justified by reason or evidence. It means to believe in something blindly without verification.
Though the Indian society is fast progressing, there are many people who are still superstitious and have a strong faith in these local beliefs. Superstitions are deemed as pertinent in India because these, generally, hint at future occurrences and can be either good or bad.Though we try to believe these are baseless beliefs, somewhere deep inside our hearts, we are stuck to our roots and still believe in some of the superstitions, if not all.
"I am not superstitious", anybody who is asked "Are you superstitious?" will retort sharply. But he will surely be lying. The louder the denial, the more is his superstition confirmed. If you try to' make him understand", that he is superstitious, then he will be even more annoyed, if you try to convince him that the sentiment of 'superstition' is universal and that no one including himself is immune to this most common, all prevailing epidemic' and even if he says, 'alright—it may be so' remember that the admission will be superficial. A person convince against this will, is of the same opinion still.
It is no necessary to go through or quote from this voluminous 'works' psychology and mythology, or any logics to prove the truth of the statement made above. Just go to a temple, see for yourself queues of great lengths, heads of queues meeting their tails, coiling like snakes, the people standing there generally, calmly, patiently (sometimes they even grow violent) present a spectacle of great victory, great variety in dress, fashion(s) and fads, and styles… a definite proof of the fact that India is a country of 'Unity and diversity'.
There is a great variety of worshippers are men and women of all ages; a large number of men are dressed in the most modern, up-to-date, best tailored suits and women in posh sarees, salwar-suits in what not...all waiting to have a 'darshan' of the deity and also to have his 'prasad'.
In offices, high ranking officers, superintendents, clerks, peons can be seen with long drawn sandal paste, 'tilaks' on their foreheads; or some sort of red or white or black threads tied round their left or right wrists, sometimes the threads tied round their wrists are multicoloured. Some even have the so-called 'tavizes' or 'gandas' hanging round their necks like the mini albatrosses; some even have magic rings on their fingers to ward off the evil eyes of the ominous influence of evil spirits.
What do this all go to show? Only meaningless superstitions and the people wearing these charms befool themselves and became laughing stock. To add insult to injury, the one kind of superstitious people making fun each other's superstitious beliefs, and proving that their superstition, superstition in which they believe is right and theirs wrong.
However 'modernly' dressed a person be, however advanced his id be, if a cat were to cross his path, he would either try to be quick enough to pass on before the cat does so or he would do his best to reverse cat's direction of motion, along a straight line or he himself wound round, or he would stand there and then for a while, and if anybody were to see him performing these monkey tricks, he would try to co' some suitable excuse for doing so.
And if, unfortunately, the cat happens to be black one, the God bless both, him and the cat, the cats are lovely creatures but somehow or other Indians seems to be scared of them.
Even a cat might reflect on experiencing a 'man-crossing', "how ill - omen these humans are! Whenever I come across one, I do not get a piece meat or else I have to go without milk the ‘rest’ of the day." The things does not end there, these 'cat-cross" scared human will not kill a cat for fear that a golden cat will have to be given in charity order to escape for the punishment of being sent to hell for killing the cat.
Superstitions are universal; they are not confined to any particular people or place. A sneeze will be more vulnerable than a bullet fired from a double barreled gun, a horse shoe nail lying on the road; facing you lucky, while it is ominous if it is found facing away from you.
When one is going to embark upon a journey, the sight of an empty pitcher or empty bucket or the sight of an old man is very bad. When one is going to set out on a journey and on stepping out if he come across a funeral being carried to the burning or to (be burial ground on his left, it is going and if on the right, it is very bad.
A black spot on the cheek of a fair lady is considered a protection against an evil eye, while an 'unfair' (not-white) child is a protection against itself and against any evil eye. If a lizard chirps, the journey are going to be undertaken, must be abandoned. The sight of a meteor, howl of a jackal, the wailing of a dog are more dangerous than a bank murderous robbers.
A cricket's voice strike more terror in the heart of a superstitious person than the hiss of a snake or even more dangerous than the kiss of a snake. An earthen pot, its bottom painted black and the bottom the picture of a very furious goddess, is hung on a private building under construction, to ward off the evil eye.
To certain people particular dates or days are ominous, and to others certain numbers 13, 3 for instance, are mortal. The sight of a one-eyed —art or a Brahman is bad. The sight of a sweeper with a broom in his hand is a good omen in the early morning. The power of superstition is great. It must not however be forgotten that superstition is a disease of the mind, of the brain.
Superstition gives birth to, gives rise to, various fears and anxieties that are unfounded. It hinders the execution of many healthy and good programmers. Superstitions retard the pace of civilization. About a thousand years back the Europeans, and today the Indians, rather the Asians in particular, are grossly superstitious, that is - India is backward in civilization. Even educated persons fall a prey to superstitions.
The most horrible feature of superstition is the barbarous cruelty it propagates in certain cases. It promotes the passion of cruelty, anger and frenzy, the idea hinted at here is the sacrifices in the name of propitiation of goods. Sometimes ignorance plays havoc with the sentiments of the people, culminating in mob fury that is capable of doing more harm than all the rests of the elements put together.
Historically the most infamous superstitions based execution is the burning alive of Joan of Arc. In Spain, in India and England, thousands of people were burnt at the stake or otherwise killed, all at the bidding of the genii of superstition.
Superstition encourages fatalism by creating more faith in chance than in work. Giant feel dwarfed before men, and blinded by superstition, the knights feel dastardly cowards.
Superstition is born of ignorance and no argument can be advanced in its defence and favour. Even the people who otherwise seem quite right with their brains, and even though they are highly educated bow to superstition.
But gradually as the light of knowledge grows brighter, born of darkness, as the superstitions are, they cannot stand the light. Ignorance superstition must flee the blazing flame of knowledge, although it might take a long time to go, as deep are its roots.
Beliefs Regarding Birth of Children
These are many and varied. A child should not be born at mid day or at mid night. A child should not be born with Chitrai as the birth star because, Chitra Guptan, the faithful servant of Yama was born in this star.
Birth in swati star is said to be bad for any child. A boy is extremely lucky to be born in Moola but woe unto a girl born under this star. A person is considered fortunate if he has a piece of agricultural land near his village and a child born in Uttradam star. He who is born in Bharani will rule the earth. A grand father may, prefer to death to hearing that his grand son's star is Kettai. A father will become a beggar if a boy is born in the Chitrai star. A birth in Rohini is inauspicious for the child's uncle. A girl born in avittam will find gold even in a pot of bran. Pooradam is an undesirable star for girls.
Beliefs about Pregnant Women
It is believed that a pregnant woman should not be photographed. A pregnant woman's requests for edibles and consumer articles generally reduced to little, since it is though that refusal may lead to ear-diseases for the child in the womb.
Therai ( toad) falling on a pregnant woman may be the cause of some diseases to the off-spring, between conception and delivery, a woman should not do any tailoring work. A woman bitten by a scorpion during pregnancy immunizes the future child to scorpion-bites. A nest being built inside a house by a bird or wasp assures safe delivery.
Beliefs about Days of the Week
A bride does not leave her mother's house on Friday, immediately after the completion of the marriage rites, the departure ceremony is postponed to the next day. Large number of people do not make any payments on Fridays, except giving small coins to beggars. People do not sell property on Fridays. A man doing an important act on a Tuesday may risk losing his food. Wednesday is the best day for important ventures and is as 'good as gold'. Thursday are unsuitable to offer first hospitality to guests. A person setting out on a Sunday for an important price if work may have to wonder aimlessly like a dog.
Beliefs about Death
Old persons having prolonged illness are expected to get worse or die on the new moon day. The new moon day is called 'heavy day', since it takes a heavy toll of death. According to general belief, persons suffering from Paralytic attacks die exactly after three days, three months or three years after the first attack. Dream of a temple, car in motion or burglary, foretells the death of some near relation.
Religious Beliefs
In the beliefs that the god will reciprocate, people make vows and carry them out. Parents desiring off spring promise that if a child is born, they will donate the child's first hair to the deity which grant the boon or they will hang a miniature cradle in a temple to beget a child by god's grace .
If a child is ill the parents or grand parents promise to present silver or gold articles to the deity on the child recovering its health. Offerings are made in the shape of parts of the body which have subject to disease. Elderly persons roll their body around the temples outer boundaries, on the earthen road several times and even for several kilometers to thank providence for mercies shown. In Thiruvannamalai it take the form of girivalam or circling the hill to distance of 13 km.
On buying a new car, many persons make the first drive to a temple. If a cow is purchased, the first milking is used to anoint a deity. The first ghee melted from the cows butter is poured in to the temple lamp as fuel to brighten its glow. When faced with dilemma, instead of considering merits and demerits, villagers put up some flowers in a temple and see which way the wind lifts it to decide an issue. Or they draw lots in front of their favourite deity to decide whether they should go ahead with a suggested surgical operation etc.
When a coconut is broken in the temple, it should part in to two regular and equal halves and not break at tangent in to the eyes of the coconut. A decayed or rotten coconut foreshadows serious mishap to the devotee .
If two families fill out and they later join hands, each family contributes a token sum and the money is jointly deposited in the temple cash-chest to seek the deity's approval of the reconciliation. Otherwise, it is feared that the reunion may be just a temporary phenomenon .
If the axle of a temple car cracks or give away, the event is likely to bring misery to that village. Another fear is that a dwelling house built higher than that of the tower of the local temple may cause havoc to the inhabitants.
After sneezing, people exclaim 'Shiva', 'Rama ' or 'Krishna'. If some one yawns, the person yawing or his neighbour snaps his fingers to the right and to the left to scare away evil-spirits .
The first pumpkin or for that matter any first produce in the vegetable garden is donated to the temple-kitchen.
India's favorite superstitions!
A black cat crosses your path and you go back, a crow caws and visitors are expected. A lizard falls on your head and you live in fear of death! Are these omens or figments of an over-active imagination? Did old wives have nothing better to do than cook up tales to frighten generations ever after? Irrespective of the veracity of these, they make for great reading. Read on for a sampling of some Indian ones!
Here are some evergreen Indian superstitions!
Do not ever leave home without consulting an astrologer. Rahu and Ketu, two ominous planets, are waiting to ruin things for you. Wait for the shubh mahurat, based on the Hindu calendar. This also holds true for weddings, naming ceremonies, housewarming rites and everything in life!
- Consult a horoscope before getting your children married. Go ahead only if the virtues and gunas match perfectly.
- Seeing an elephant during a journey is auspicious as Ganesha, the God who removes obstacles will ensure success.
- A dog howling at night chills the blood – a portent of approaching death.
- When leaving home, it is auspicious to see a bride, a Brahmin or an religious idol. However, sighting a widow or a barren woman is not lucky!
- A new bride is judged by the fortunes or misfortunes that occur in her new family for a year after marriage. She enters her new home putting her right foot first.
- Mensturating women are regarded unclean and are isolated. They cannot enter the kitchen till they are ‘clean’ again.
- Pregnant women are not allowed to travel alone at night or enter an uninhabited home because ghosts might possess them. They should read religious books and watch inspiring movies so that the child grows up to be a good person.
- Hiccups indicate someone is thinking of you. But an itchy eye refers to someone maligning you, or your envy of someone.
- A barber shop remains closed on Tuesday as hair is not cut on that day.
- Nails should not be cut at night for fear of evil spirits.
- Twitching of the eye is highly inauspicious.
- An eclipse occurs when Rahu and Ketu swallow the sun, and people avoid eating anything, and go and take a dip in rivers after it is over.
- When there is a birth or death in the family, the members are unclean, and do not go to the temple till the stipulated period is over.
- These colorful customs, no matter how absurd, keep the religious folk busy and the irreverent ones in mirth.
Many of these customs came about for perfectly valid reasons in the past, but don’t you feel that they are now being followed only as mere rites? What is your favorite superstition? Do you believe in any aof the ones we listed here?
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