India is located in the south of Asia, and Indian language and English are the official languages of the country. In India, there are many religions in addition to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhs. India is characterized by its customs and traditions that may look strange to some people who discover it for the first time. Most people know only a few things about India. So today we gonna tell you many things about special customs and traditions in India. We will start our subject with:
Marriage:
Every country has its own customs and traditions concerning weddings and ways of celebrating. We will mention some of the strange customs of the Indian people in marriage: Everything concerning dowry, preparing the house, and the wedding is obligatory for the father of the bride, and the groom does not pay anything.
The law prohibits the marriage of a young man from the poor classes with a girl from the upper classes, but the young man from the upper classes is allowed to marry whoever he wants, and may not break these customs no matter what happens.
The groom comes to the wedding with a horse decorated during the wedding.
Beliefs and Rituals:
The body of a human being is burned after his death, by putting it in the woods and setting fire to it, as it is a tribute to the dead.
The widow is placed alive with her husband’s body and burned together to prove her loyalty.
Many Indians sacrifice their head hair in the temples and export this hair to the countries of the world, where India is classified as one of the largest exporters of human hair.
Entry to some temples may require crawling on the ground in a circular rather than a walk, as it is widely believed that crawling in the temple will avoid skin diseases.
The cow is the symbol of fertility in India, a sacred animal that is not slaughtered, and even walks in the streets without being intercepted.
Strange festivals:
In India their many festivals that make Indians gather and celebrate an occasion or an event every year. Some of these festivals are made to make people enjoying, while some may be harmed. Strange rituals may be performed at the ceremony symbolizing something sacred or as a form of sacrifice and offering to draw closer to the gods. From those festivals we will mention:
Thokum Festival: An annual festival by the people of South India, they connect their bodies with sharp wires, and they are raised upwards. These festivals have been banned by the Indian government and human rights organizations for causing harm and sometimes death to revelers, but they are still unable to eliminate it.
Raging Bulls Festival: South Indian people celebrate the harvest season by escaping rampaging bulls among the masses, a tradition that has killed many participants and has been legally banned, but is still widespread.
Buddhist Hymns: A traditional celebration held every day in the monasteries and villages of the Indian city of Lakh, where priests chant the teachings and philosophy of Buddha in groups. It is worth mentioning that this tradition was added in 2012 to the UNESCO list of cultural heritage.
The Fire Walking Festival: Every year, the Fire Walking Festival runs from October to November. In which Males perform rituals that signify their profound faith by walking on burning charcoal and placing a bowl of milk or water on their heads.
Snake worship festival: Some Indians approach the snake during a festival held every year, offering milk, sweets, and flowers for security and happiness. These snakes may be made of wood, stone, or silver, and may be real.
The Holly Festival: It is one of the festivals held to receive the spring and one of the most vocal festivals in color in India. Crowds throw dye powder, spray water, and dance in the streets. This festival is a Hindu tradition.
Kerala Festival: This festival takes place every year in the harvest season, in which drums are played and the tiger dance, which is a movement performed by men, after drawing on the stomach of the tiger face, is said to be a tradition dating back nearly 200 years.
Food:
There are exotic foods, and different habits used by Indians in cooking, including that they add pepper, and many spices on most types of food and drink, even on sweets, such as cake.
