India is a hub of diverse cultures, here traditions breathe comfortably with science and technology. So much that while we've sent some powerful rockets to space, we still consider bird's poop falling on us to be a sign of good luck.
Superstitions have been an important part of human life since ancient times, they are the legacy of our civilization, inherited by generations. They are deep rooted irrational beliefs or notions based on ignorance, coincidence & fear of unknown.
It can also be termed as "Blind Belief" where future events can be influenced or foretold by specific unrelated behaviours and so certain acts of ours can bring good or bad luck, like if you eat curd with sugar before heading out, it will bring you good luck and broken idols or mirrors can bring you upto 7 years of bad luck.
(I personally think that it's a good way of saving expensive mirrors and glasses)
It's a person's way of trying to control things that he/she has no control over. It makes them feel as if they are the master of their own fate. Carrying charms, wearing gemstones, preferring specific colours and numbers are all elements of Superstition. It provides reassurance and can help in reducing anxiety in some people too but due to our excessive belief in these superstitious actions, failure to perform the "ritual" can actually result in increased stress or anxiety levels.
Superstition can give rise to the notion that certain objects or places are cursed. Despite human capacity for rational thought, we are not immune to superstitions, we can find athelets wearing their lucky jersey to win the game, actors praying before award functions, students writing om in the margin of their exam paper, crossing our fingers (or whatever part of body we can cross) to get a bit of extra luck.
Safe to say - Superstitions follows us everywhere....
In India, a common priest with a lemon knows your future, they even know which animal you were in your previous birth.
These are called godmen - the charismatic spiritual leaders AKA baba, swami, tantrik, guru, etc who generally claim to have psychic powers through which they can perform miracles.
They can cure diseases through amulets and spells, they even get to decide our wedding dates, so it doesn't matter if you love each other, if your stars don't match (according to baba), you need to find someone else.
Life in India is suffused in superstitions of various kinds, ranging from innoxious to the most bizzare ones. Over the years, the knowledge underlying these traditional rituals has become esoteric, the rules are propagated not the reasoning. One example is given to us by Ekta Kapoor - if the oil lamp turns off, it's an "Upshagoon" (sign of bad luck).
Here our jugaadu mind will come in handy to ward off the evil by saying - Touchwood!
From flipping upturned chappals to trying to alter our destiny, let's grab a good look at some of the wacky superstitions here:
1. If a black cat crosses your path, bad luck will befall you
Poor black cats are believed to be witch's incarnate (blamed because in india black represents evil), if it's on the road it will have the most educated people take a step back or breaking into a run so if they do cross your paths, you'll have to wait like a dead statue for someone else to pass first and take all the evil away with them.
(This is racism at its best)
2. Hanging Lemon with seven Green Chillies will ward off the evil eye
This nimbu mirchi totka can be found hanging on the doorway of shops, offices, vehicles, homes. These sour and pungent food are used to keep evil energies away (goddess of misfortune - Alakshmi who likes sour food eats it happily and turns around without casting her vicious eye towards you), not sure if that works but at least the smell keeps pests and insects away.
3. Crows are our ancestors
Our country is one with the appetite for myths and offering food to crow will pacify the hunger of our ancestors (doesn't matter if you didn't like your ancestors or if they have already been reborn), you still have a chance to feed them.
Amazing, isn't it!
4. Solar Eclipse - Time for House Arrest
Observing the sun during solar eclipse can cause retinal burns but this is a day when people lock themselves indoors, avoid eating, cover food items with basil leaves (Tulsi) and pregnant women are not even allowed to sit cross legged, why?
Well if they don't lie straight the baby will be born deformed with ugly marks all over the body. We don't want that to happen now, do we?
5. Howling dog augurs an impending death or doom
We could be having a perfectly normal day and suddenly "boom", a dog decided to bark in our street and now we have a storm of bad luck coming towards us with DEATH written over it in big bold letters.
6. Buri Nazar - The Curse of the Evil Eye
If you're sick, the superstitious explanation is that an evil witch has cast a spell on you and to get rid of the evil eyes, "Nazar utaarna" is very important. One method that can neutralize the effect of evil eye is to put a spot of kajal (Kohl) on the forehead or behind the ear of children or someone who is very attractive.
7. A menstruating women is like taboo
Menstrual blood is treated akin to something sinful, menstruating women are considered impure and aren't allowed in the kitchen or temples. The logic before was to not let women work on these days due to excessive pain and discomfort but our society has degraded the logical explanation with their own versions of keeping the impurity away from temples.
Disgusting!
8. Peepal Tree - The abode of ghosts and spirits
Peepal Tree (Ficus) in Vikram and Betaal has always been a spooky unavoidable part of the story, l think peepal tree is one poor fellow, it has been defamed to be the dwelling place of spirits and ghosts, so if you stand under it at night, you'll definitely attract some friendly ghost who would like to possess your body and take it on a joy ride.
9. Fasting can fulfil your desires
Auspicious... A debate l would like to start here as it's regarding "Sola Somwar" or other types of fasts that will give you a good husband. The logic behind abstinence of food is that fasting helps in giving our digestive system a much needed rest but who cares about logic, we are Indians, we'd rather fast to increase the life of our husbands (Karva chauth)
10. Teen tigada, Kaam bigada
The hatred for number 3 is from historical times, apparently if it's above two digits and below four digits, it's undesirable.
Does this mean that you are cursed if were born on 3rd day of a month??
LOL (Laugh out Loud)
11. Twitching of the Eye
Eye twitching can be due to various logical reasons like allergy, fatigue, excessive eye pressure but to a superstitious mind, right eye twitching is good omen and left eye twitching is ill omen, so if your left eye is twitching, the day ahead is a lost cause.
(In short, our twitching eyes can see the future)
12. Adding one rupee
Finding an odd coin in an envelope in lndia is normal as that one rupee coin is supposed to bring you a fortune of good luck and if the well wisher forgot to add a coin, it is surely going to raise some eyebrows.
Hmm.... Looks like they want misery to befall us!
13. Itchy left palm - Money is coming
Want to escape to an exotic holiday destination? Have an eye on that Lamborghini? All you need to do is close your eyes and pray really hard that your left palm starts to itch.
(If this doesn't work, you can throw coins in rivers or wells - as that is supposed to give you all that your heart desires.....)
14. Meat on all days - Hell No!
Foreigner's think that Indians are vegetarians. They're wrong. A lot of Indians are non vegetarians, accept on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I mean you don't want saturn god (Shani) and Lord Ganesha to watch you eat meat, duh!
Superstitious beliefs help promote a positive mental attitude although they can lead to trusting in the merits of good luck and destiny rather than sound decision making.
To some extent, education can help us to avoid getting trapped in the vicious circle of blind faith & rituals. It's better to be open minded & to take logical approach instead of giving into myths.
PS lf l start getting hiccups, I'll know you're thinking of me while reading this article.
hahahaaa........
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