Indian superstitious beliefs – We stand in the crossroad of technology and traditions, that’s how things roll in Indian subcontinent.

We are still hostages to the old beliefs, that is to say the superstitions that eclipse our vision sometimes. Of course, it cleaves the country into two parts, one of the intellectuals and another of the ones with ambiguous notions, as we like to think. But wait, are those superstitions that we cold shoulder or side eye really as vague? Perhaps not, there is no reason to admonish them because they may also have kinship with logic.

So, here are some of the Indian superstitious beliefs that we can’t completely label as rubbish because they have deeper logical connotation.

Indian superstitious beliefs –

1 – Stepping out during an eclipse costs you of your eyesight:

There is a popular belief that if you observe the Sun in broad daylight, you will be afflicted with ‘eclipse blindness’ and our ancestors always have opined against it. It was believed that Rahu’s head blocks the Sun which idea is inspired by a mythological story.

2 – Sleeping with your head facing the north may cost you heart problems:

It is all about biomagnetism which is between Earth’s magnetic field and human body’s field. Our ancestors made this rule to sleep with your head facing the south because the blood pressure would be in control this way and Earth’s magnetic field can’t wreak havoc in your health.

3 – A girl should not do certain things during her menstruation:

When a girl is menstruating, she needs rest. Neither Sanitary napkins, nor painkillers like Meftal Plus were available during 20^th century so women had to go through trying times dealing with the pain and cramps. Not letting them do certain works during those times were meant to give them some rest they rightfully deserved.

4 – Not loitering around a Peepal tree during the night:

Before Jan Van Helmont found out the recipe of plant food in the 17^th century, the World had no idea about how glucose is created from the unison of sunlight and carbon-di-oxide. But it seems like our ancestors had inkling about the photosynthesis and the ill-effects of humans inhaling carbon-di-oxide so they dissuaded other human beings to linger around a Peepal tree during the night.

5 – To street clear of evil-eye, usage of Green Chilli and Lemons:

Both Lemon and Chillies are rich with vitamins and were incorporated in every food and rituals in the earlier days which later transmuted into a totka to avert evil-eye. Also, the pesticidal properties of lemon and green chillies have been proven too.

5 – Bathing after attending a funeral ceremony:

There were no vaccinations available against Hepatitis B, Smallpox or other detrimental diseases back then so our ancestors resorted to bathing after attending a funeral ceremony to get rid of the germs that they may have been absorbed.

6 – The mourning family or the deceased should not cook food until Sraddha:

This is a Hindu popular belief to not to simmer a cauldron until Sradhha for the departed soul is performed. This was meant to give the family some physical rest who are already emotionally drained from losing their loved one.

So, these Indian superstitious beliefs go beyond reasonable doubts to be propagated throughout the country and spanning generations.

The post These Are the Indian Superstitious Beliefs and Scientific Reasons Behind Them appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Since childhood we are stopped from doing many things to avoid bad luck and slowly they become part of our habits.

We stop questioning such rituals and blindly follow them. Are those superstitions just an act of belief or is there a scientific truth to any of them?

We analyse some of the most common superstitions and share with you, the scientific rationale, if any, behind them.

1) Don’t Cut Nails/Hair On Saturdays And At Night

Our ancestors had kept specific days for specific things to do to live a more organised life and in their “Muhurat” based timetable,  Saturday was not kept for cutting hair or nails. Over a period of time, it simply became an inauspicious activity out of laziness as no one wanted to go into real reasons! As far as cutting them at night is concerned, it’s only because in earlier days there were no good sources of lighting at night, they wanted to prevent injuries by using sharp tools for grooming purposes!

2) Keep A Knife Or Sharp Object Under Pillow

The whole idea was to sleep in peace with an assurance that one had means to safety in case of an emergency, but it has got a real bad twist. Warning: Blindly following this superstition can cause self-injuries in case you have a habit of pushing your head under the pillow in deep sleep!

3) No Sweeping Of Home In The Evening Or Goddess Lakshmi Won’t Visit You

Again, this practice has its roots in, not having electricity in olden days, so the fear was that something valuable(Lakshmi) might be swept off as garbage in the dark of night. Of course, connecting it with Lakshmi and loss of wealth was to ensure the practice continued without interruptions!

4) Eat Curd And Sugar Before Heading Out For Good Luck

There is sound science behind this superstition. Curd makes stomach cool so when venturing out in a tropical country like ours, it helps to have a calm stomach. Sugar gives instant energy which is required to accomplish the task one is going out for. Associating it with good luck just makes everyone follow it compulsorily.

5) Applying Cow Dung On Floor Is Auspicious

In the historical times, it made sense to apply cow dung in mud houses people used to live in since it worked as a disinfectant. In today’s times, try applying it in your white marble floors at home or in your smooth office floor and you’ll realise any disinfectant bought from a local kirana shop works better!

6) Swallow Tulsi Leaf, Never Chew It

Yes, Tulsi is considered Goddess Lakshmi’s avatar and that’s why it is said not chew its leaves to avoid disrespect. However, real reason is that Tulsi contains a bit of arsenic and chewing its leaves leads to yellowing of teeth or degradation of enamel. So it is actually to maintain glittering smile more than anything else!

7) Applying Kajal To Avoid Buri Nazar

In earlier days Kajal/kohl was made at home by burning natural oils and was considered good for eyes. But it lead to itching and was messy so elders used the idea of buri nazar so that kids applied it out of fear. However, nowadays there is no such need! Also, kajal available in cosmetic stores today has paraffin etc which is toxic for skin and seriously dangerous for infants or kids eyes and skin! Another logic used was that black skinned people can’t be hypnotised so even magicians in earlier days used to advice people not to wear black clothes when attending their shows. This became a superstition and kids were smeared with kajal to save them from buri nazar!

We hope some of the confusions related to superstitions are cleared by now. Let’s not follow the rituals and beliefs just because they are passed on to you by generations, instead seek clarity and do only what makes sense and has a scientific logic behind it!

The post Indian Superstitions: Are They Absolutely Baseless Or Are There Any Scientific Facts Associated With Them? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.