Questions tagged [culture]
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
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Does Hinduism forbid sexual intercourse before marriage?
Well, I think the Indian society is very orthodox and can't generally accept things like an unmarried girl walking with or talking to a boy.
So is an unmarried girl or boy having sexual intercourse ...
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Vedas and Vedic dharma on homosexuality
This link describes that the Vedas have no problem with homosexuality:
In contemporary India LGBT people face discrimination and marginalization. This results from cultural attitudes imposed by the ...
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Is organ donation allowed? Have any Hindu acharyas commented on this practice?
According to some religions, donating the human organs (especially after one's death) is considered a good practice.
So is it a good thing to do according to Hindu scripture?
Have any Hindu acharyas ...
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How is "Patriotism" seen from the Hindu Dharma perspective?
Are there any scriptures (Dharma Shastra-s) or Hindu saints who have talked about patriotism?
Related: This post discusses specific to Kshatriya class, Martyr concept in Hinduism
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Why Hindus wear red tilak and sandal wood tilak on foreheads?
Hindus prefer to wear red tilak and sandal wood tilak on foreheads.
Also Lord Shiva wears Bhasma(Vibhuthi). Many of his followers do the same. How did this practice originate?
user11
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Why is God's name used for people?
Names of many Indians are derived from names of various Hindu Gods. Even here on Hinduism.SE, we have many users with such names, for example, Keshav Srinivasan, Krishna, Ram, Hari, Damodaran, Shiva, ...
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Why are Gods and Yogis shown sitting on animals skins?
It can be observed that many Hindu Gods and saints are shown sitting on animal (tiger) skins. What could be the reason behind this?
user11
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Why is Ganga considered sacred? Why do so many devotees worship this river?
What is river Ganga considered sacred? Why do so many devotees worship her?
Note: This is not a dup. of Historically, when (and why) did Ganga become a holy river? Is it after Sarasvati dried up? as ...
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How do Hindus celebrate birthday?
I have not heard about birthday celebrations in our puranas or texts.
But is there any account of Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna) celebration in any of the puranas or other texts? When did it ...
user11
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Can a married woman take out her Mangala Sutra and keep it anywhere?
I have seen many of our sisters and mothers wear the Mangala Sutra. The question Why do brides wear a mangal sutra? answers why they wear it in the first place.
But my question is:
Nowadays we see ...
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Is Hinduism a culture of living more than just a religion?
Nowadays most of the people are just considering Hinduism or Sanathana Dharma as a religion. But actually Hinduism touches almost every aspect of a human life. It clearly defines what to do in a ...
user11
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Were there toilets in ancient India i.e., during times of Ramayana and Mahabharata?
The people of Indus valley did have toilets in their homes, so were there toilets in the times of Mahabharata or Ramayana? Does any Hindu scripture mention about toilet system?
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Why do Hindus feed milk to snakes?
I have seen a lot of times in temples that priests offer milk to snake idols.
What is the reason behind it? Do snakes really drink milk?
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Why bengali brahmins are non-vegetarians?
I have seen that bengali brahmins are non-vegetarians whereas their counterpart in the rest of India are strictly lacto-vegetarians.
Can you tell me why this difference in their culture?
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Is there any significace of twitching of eyes?
Is it true that twitching of eyes indicates something?
Does it give us signal of something good or bad that is going to happen in the future?
What is the significance of left eye twitching and ...
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Should we chant mantras before eating food?
Usually, we pray before having food. Are there any mantras which should be chanted before taking food? If such mantras exist, do they differ according to the meal e.g., breakfast, lunch and supper?
user11
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Why is Lord Hanuman also referred as "Bajaranga Bali"?
The name "Bajaranga Bali" is quite famous especially in the northern parts of India. There are popular movies made with this name, such as Bajrangbali and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
However these names are ...
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Why can Garuda Purana be read on specific days only?
Is there any reason behind the restriction that Garuda Purana should only be read during normal days (i.e., when there's no death in the family)?
My elders told me that it should be only read on the ...
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Why can't we have same calendar?
I'm Hindu and I've noticed that in some places, Sravan month ends a few weeks earlier (eg. in Nepal it's already over), than for other places (e.g my town). Why does this happen?
Sravan month is just ...
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Why do Hindus bathe in river Ganges (Ganga)?
I've seen at many of the devotees bathe in river Ganges at sacred places.
This is often seen when people are celebrating Kumbh Mela as well, so why do they bathe in river Ganges (Ganga)?
Image ...
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Are there any core invariants to Hinduism?
From what I've seen, Hinduism isn't a religion like most of the other modern ones with many "rules" that you have to follow, it's more of a "pick-your-own-rules" way of doing it. (See: Is there an ...
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Do Hindus have specific dress code guidelines in their dharma shastras (scriptures)?
Are there any specific teachings related to how Hindus should dress in the public? In Islam, for instance, it has been outlined that women must wear a hijab or nikab. Islam has very clear instructions ...
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How can one save Sanatana Dharma?
It is said on multiple occasions that we need to protect our sanskriti, our dharma, etc.
But is there any reference in our shastras on what should we do to save dharma?
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What is the relationship between Hinduism and atheism?
I have recently read somewhere that atheism is the pillar of Hinduism.
If Hindus don't believe in God then why do they worship Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Kali etc.?
Is atheism followed by all Hindus ...
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If Hindus can't kill animals, how do they get tiger carpets?
I read some Yoga books, and saw Swami Sivananda saying to not kill animals, but himself can be found in a photo making asana over a tiger's skin carpet, even pictures of Lord Shiva show him over a ...
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What do Hindu scriptures or Gurus say on How to Introduce Hinduism to Children?
I am aware that this question is more a parenting question.
The reason I ask the question is, to me and many young children around me, it was just told that idol worship in a temple is holy and wish-...
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The story behind Names of Hindu calender Months?
In Hindu traditional calender Their are 12 months (मास)
Chaitra (चैत्र), Vaisakha (वैशाख), Jyaistha (जेष्ठ), Asadha (आषाढ), Sravana (श्रावण), Bhadrapada (भाद्रपद), Asvina (अश्विन), Kartika (कार्तिक),...
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What is the overall take of Hinduism on menstruation?
One of the debated topic related to Hinduism is menstruation and related matters. There are some texts including smritis which seem to depict menstruation with antipathy.
In some of the regions and ...
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Under which circumstances physical punishment to wife is allowed?
A soldier killing an enemy is not violence because it's done as a part of the war (Yuddha Dharma), or police killing criminals is not violence to reduce the burden on society.
Similarly, in what ...
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What are some of the practices of having pets as per Hinduism?
Is it ok to have pets in Hinduism and if so, what pets are ok and which are not ok?
Moreover, is there a proper protocol for raising pets? In general, views from Shastras would be very helpful.
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Do Hindus intermarry with other religions?
Are Hindus allowed to marry people of other religions?
If yes, how should they marry someone belonging to a different
religion?
Are the rules different for a man and a woman?
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Does the Adiyogi of Sadhguru have a scriptural basis
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has a large following in India and abroad. His main sculptural work is the Adiyogi Statue in Velliangiri hills, Coimbatore.
Does the Statue have any Sthala purana or is it ...
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Why do widows wear white sarees after their husband's death?
After the death of a man (husband), the wife (widow) is not allowed to wear bangles, kumkum (sindhur) and is asked to wear white saree & shave her head. Is there any reference for such a practice ...
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Is there any provision for 'Divorce' in Hindusm? [duplicate]
By law and court system a marriage can be ended with legal divorce. Islam says if they say Talaq three times then the marriage is over. Like Islam, does Hinduism allow divorce for a married couple?
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Why do Hindus cover their head?
All Hindu women cover their heads in Temples and during prayers which shows respect towards God. Here I have found there is no mention of women covering their head in any of the Hindu texts. If it is ...
user6981
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Why low-caste people are not allowed inside some temples and homes?
In most temples and homes, especially in villages, low-caste people are not allowed.
These regulations are being followed for thousands of years now.
What is the reason behind such practice? What do ...
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Why should a girl leave her home after marriage?
After the marriage, the wife has to live at her husband's home. What do our scriptures say about this custom?
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Why should not we touch Tulsi and Peepal trees on Sunday?
It is said that, we should not touch or give water to Tulsi or Peepal tree on Sunday. What is the reason behind it and what happens if someone does it?
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How does artificial confluence of rivers differ from natural confluence of rivers?
The AP Government linked rivers Krishna and Godavari by artificial means. Given that;
What does this artificial confluence mean according to Hinduism? Does it signify anything in religious or ...
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Do Indians have real surnames?
None of the persons I have read about from the Vedic scriptures have surnames. Instead they have patronymics and matronymics e.g. "bhārata", "pārtha", "vēyāsakī", "raghunandana", "jāhnavī" etc. One ...
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Who is the goddess depicted as "Bharat Mata" & why is she having Indian tricolor flag?
What is the story of Bharat Mata?
What's her connection with the Indian national flag?
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Is there any mention of "Scissors" in the Hindu literature?
The Goddess Tara is shown holding scissors
Scissors symbolises that the Goddess cuts asunder the attachments to this material worlds, much feared by the spiritual souls.
Now, scissors looks a bit ...
user9392
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What does the word "mlechha" (म्लेच्छ) mean in the context of Hinduism?
I have been reading some blogs over the Internet that describe the word mleccha (म्लेच्छ) e.g., here.
Can someone explain me what mleccha actually means in the context of Hinduism and Hindu ...
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Why are women advised to tie their hair in temples?
Once when I visited a Durga temple, a man who was giving out flowers to all devotees told me to tie my hair and not leave it open in the temple. I genuinely want to know the reason.
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What is the proper way to say 'good bye' in Hinduism?
As we used to say Ram Ram or Jay Shree Krishna to greet when we meet someone, what is the proper good bye greeting in Hinduism?
I used to say 'bye, take care', but I want to change this to a proper ...
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Is applying sindoor compulsory after marriage?
Is applying sindoor after marriage mandatory or just a choice? Do Hindu scripture say anything about applying sindoor after marriage?
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Is the Jallikattu festival connected to Hinduism? If so, what is its significance?
The famous Jallikattu festival of Tamil Nadu, India was temporarily banned and then reinstated recently. My questions are:
Is the Jallikattu festival connected to Hinduism?
If so, what is the ...
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How Monsoon Season or Rainy Season (वर्षा ऋतू) has been described in Ancient scriptures of Hinduism?
How Rushies (ऋषी) , Poets (कवी) described Monsoon Season (वर्षा ऋतू) in ancient Scriptures , shlokas , Subhasitas (सुभाषित) , Plays etc.?
Is there any description of Rainy season / Monsoon Season ...
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Where does Atithi Devo Bhava (Guests are equal to Gods) come from?
According to Indian culture, Guests (Atithis) are treated as equal to the God.
Did this originate from Hinduism? If so in which text/scripts is this quote mentioned?
user11