Indian Traditions

Festivals in general have a survival value because they in essence make people closer together and friends tend to cooperate more. Humans and most of our ancestors and relatives are social species and social species use cooperation to increase their chances of survival. First let's know something deep about Holi Holi is celebrated for the death of Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu. Holi starts with burning a bonfire the night before Phalgun purnima. Bonfire is called Holika dahan memorating the burning of Holika. Next day on Holi, people celebrate the death of demonic Holika by applying colors on each other. Holika's death memorates the slaying of bad things and sustenance of good things. The time during which Holi arrives witnesses a drastic change in climatic conditions. The weather changes from cold to heat, bringing in laziness and sleepiness among people. To counteract this tardiness of the body, our ancestors had come up with this very beautiful and fun filled...

Creationism vs Evolution has always been a topic of hot debate between religious views and modern scientists. Because science claims that human beings evolved from monkeys but these religions preach that God created humans and sent them to the earth. It might come as a surprise to many people, but Indians actually explained Darwin’s theory of Evolution Thousands of years before Darwin! The ten incarnations or ‘DashaAvatara’ of Lord Vishnu is an extraordinary recording of the evolution of human life and advance in human civilization. In Hindu religion, the three main deities are Lord Brahma, Vishu and Shiva. Brahma creates, Vishnu protects and Shiva destroys – three faces of Mother Nature. Lord Vishnu descends on Earth to uphold dharma and to cleanse the Earth of evil. So far, Lord Vishnu has appeared NINE times on Earth and the tenth, Kalki, is expected. A surprising and much documented aspect of the Dashavatara story is its connection with evolutionary theory. Evolutionary theor...

In many households, food is offered to crows on everyday basis, but certain days have their own unique importance. Most Hindus believe that their ancestors for whom they are performing the rituals, visit them to enjoy the food in the form of crows. As such, they feel very happy when the crow immediately comes and pounces on the food. This might seem very silly to some people, but those who believe such traditions take it as a blessing of their ancestors. Again, belief or non-belief is one's own individual perspective and no one else can do anything about that. But even for believers, some questions might come in mind. Why crows particularly? Why not any other animals or birds? Could there be any specific reason for this? This is a very general article which tries to explore the answers for such questions. Before proceeding further, let me provide some information about Ravens. They are species which are similar to crows (though they have many differences). Interestingly, ...

Music, Arts & Spirituality: Throughout history women have been among the great poets, musical composers and artists of India. Their prowess and spiritual presence in society are legendary. Women’s Status in Ancient India THEY CALL IT A BAD RAP WHEN SOMEONE is wrongly accused of something, and in recent Indian history both women and Hinduism have suffered just such an injustice. To be sure, women are sometimes egregiously mistreated in India, as elsewhere in the world. But this is not owing to Hinduism. Indeed, it is a violation of the Sanatana Dharma. Although the position of women declined in modern times—especially during the long period of foreign rule, which disrupted every aspect of society—most scholars agree that women in ancient India held a most elevated position. They had similar education as men and participated with men in philosophical debates. During Vedic times, women so inclined wore the sacred thread and were taught the holy mantras of the Vedas. Some were...

It is very common practice in India to throw coins in the river, especially in religious places without a second thought. As a custom that has been followed for centuries, the real meaning behind this simple act has mostly been  forgotten. Some think throwing the coins brings Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi into their lives. In ancient India, most of the civilizations flourished near rivers and were there is a significant source of fresh water. The livelihood of people was dependent on these rivers, such as for  agriculture, irrigation, drinking etc. and these rivers were considered scared and worshiped. As the rivers were the only source of water at the time, having clean water was essential for survival. Most currencies used then were made of copper, an element required by human body to maintain health.Once thrown in river, copper would slowly dissolve in the water  and person drinking it would have sufficient intake of the metal in their body for its optimiza...

We often quote our country as ‘Incredible India’, but we hardly think about the reasons behind this statement. Okay, let me tell you one of the reasons that makes India incredible and silly that it may sound to you now, but that fact that we eat with our hands and not with glittery cutlery, makes us really special. It is such a regular practice that we mostly never give a thought to it and pick the spoon only when we are in company or are eating out in a party or restaurant. According to Vedas, the practice directly benefits our chakras, and the use of hands for eating also increases the blood circulation. These are just to name a few, beyond this; there is a plethora of logic that you need to know about this indigenous practice. So, grab your plate of food and eat with your hands while you read this piece of information which will amaze you. What Ayurveda Explains Eating is supposed to be a sensory experience and it is said to evoke emotion and passion. According to the ...

Maha Shivaratri literally translates to the great night of Shiva.   Maha = Great. Ratri = Night. It is a very important timeframe in a year as held at a high esteem by the vedic scholars. When is Maha Shivaratri observed?   Astronomically, Maha Shivaratri falls during the transition from 13th (Trayodashi) to the 14th lunar day (Chaturdasi) of month of Phalguna. On this day of the year (and three days before and after Maha Shivaratri), the Sun will be in Aquarius & Moon in Capricorn.   Maha Shivaratri and Vata  Around Maha Shivaratri, the Sun and the Moon are aligned in such a way that the Vata component of our body gets activated. The activity is maximum during this time of the year. Vata is one of the three constituents of the body, the other two being Pitta and Kapha. Anything related to movement in the body has a direct connection with Vata. Accordingly, Vata directly impacts the following – At the physical level (Sthul...

I know many friends who ask me “ What is the use of Sandhyavandanam at all ? It is not like meditation which shows results instantly. In this we sprinkle water or partake it in some routine and murmur some hymns. What benefit at all do we get ?” I too had this question in my mind and started doing research on the same. Below were the findings which I thought will be useful if shared. Nadis and the Sandhya time Sandhya means the time of union of the day with the night. They usually are in the evening and early morning. But, why do Sandhya at this these times only ? It is these times that one is in an empty stomach which is a condition for any spiritual exercise. The recent psychological experiments have confirmed the existence of the nadis of the spine viz “ Ida , Pingala and Sushumna”. These nadis are not physical entities but are part of our astral body and can be seen by those endowed with special vision. Even advanced yogis can see these nadis. These nadis ida an...

Homam (also known as yajna or havan) is a ritual performed in the country. It is a process of invoking a sacred fire with intentions of cleansing one’s self (material and spiritual), and the environment. The fire is a symbol of God, and practitioners offer items such as grains, ghee and herbs to the sacred fire as symbolic offerings to God. Common belief assumes several positive effects inherent to this ritual, ranging from revitalizing/purifying the environment to curing diseases. Although there are different types of Homams, the most commonly used ingredients in this process include items such as dried cow dung patties, dried coconut, wood shavings, peepal twigs (samit), camphor, milk, curd, and ghee. Natural Energy A Homa has a purifying effect not only on the performer but also on the environment. Offering environmental-friendly goods to fire and chanting of mantras re-energizes one’s chakras, producing a re-vitalized and invigorating effect for one’s the body as well as min...

Sitting on a table and chair and eating with a fork and knife have never been a part of Indian tradition. Initially, people used to sit on the floor and eat. However, people feel that it is just an old-school tradition without much relevance. Well, that's not true. There is a reason why our ancestors used to sit on the floor while eating. Ayurveda has it; sitting on the floor is a healthy habit and has a number of benefits to offer. Even today, people continue to sit on the floor while eating. So let's cut to the chase and unveil its benefits. You don't just sit on the floor, you do yoga.                                                When you sit on the floor and eat, you sit in sukhasana or the cross-legged position. So it is like sitting, eating and doing yoga at the same time. This one is a yogic position which is known to induce better digestion. It is be...