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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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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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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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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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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Are there any scriptural references of the trinity "Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh(Shiva)" as depicted in popular culture?
Brahma is typically depicted as an ancient deity with multiple heads
[& hands] in various directions.
Vishnu is depicted in form of a deity sleeping in the midst of an
ocean over a big snake (...
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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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Do any Hindu scriptures say that Hinduism is not a religion but simply a way of life?
I have seen in many answers here that a lot of people have this notion that Hinduism is a way of life (as opposed to a well-defined religion. I find this notion amusing because I think Hinduism is ...
user12262
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Is Dristhi (Evil Eye) Pottu,Photos and other activities are said in our scriptures?
Dristhi pottu for new babies are applied as a black dot in their cheek to escape from Evil Eye.
Industries have scary photos in its gate as to escape from Evil eye .
When a person looks very jealously ...
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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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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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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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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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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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Can Hinduism work in a classless society?
I'm not Hindu but it's my understanding that there are Hindu texts that specify a caste system. Must these systems be followed, or is something like a classless society as outlined by Marx (minus the ...
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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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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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A Comprehensive book on Hinduism [duplicate]
Of course when one finds it necessary to know about one religion, the first books or valid references they would be offered, are each religion's number one book! (Quran, Bible, etc), but what about ...
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Is there a scriptural basis for Out-of-India hypothesis? [duplicate]
I heard that Hindus believe that all Vedic-era people originated in Bhārat. Is this a cultural belief or is it from scripture?
The below non-Answers are "arguments against the mainstream theory" ...
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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, ...
user11
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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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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 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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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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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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Which Scriptures mention "Chitrahuti" (चित्राहुति) or "Chitravati" procedure which we carry out before starting of our meals?
Chitrahuti (चित्राहुति) Or "Chitravati", is a procedure of keeping small amount of food out side of the plate on the floor , as offering to "Chitra ,Chitragupta and Yama (चित्रा , चित्रगुप्त , यम) ...
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Is there any Hindu spiritual principle that causes many Hindus to oppose the Aryan Migration Theory?
Recently a question was asked about the reasons why many Hindus are opposed to the Aryan Migration Theory (AMT)? The question was asked in a manner that does not fit with the requirements of this site....
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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 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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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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Why restriction on taking images and publishing 'some' mantras
Why people are not allowed to take images of god/goddesses in Garbha gudi (sanctum sanctorum) of a temple. Is it a sin according to scriptures? or any other reason behind such restriction?
In addition ...
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What does Hinduism say about protection of nature?
Sanathana Dharma is one of the rarest culture in history of mankind which emphasize on the protection of nature. Here in India, Hindus respect the value of life in Nature. They respect trees, animals ...
user11
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Physical appearance of various Gods for worship
This is question about pictorial representation of various gods, especially their facial hair.
Brahma has a full beard & moustache. But Vishnu (including RAma, Krishna incarnations) and Shankara ...
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In what ways vedas give equal respect to women?
Hindu texts present diverse and
conflicting views on the position
of women, ranging from feminine
leadership as the highest
goddess, to limiting her role to
an obedient daughter, housewife
and mother. ...
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Are shudras allowed to wander near sacrifices?
This question is asked by the curiosity created by my previous question.
Are shudras allowed to wander near sacrifices?
Are they allowed to put a sight on a sacrifice?
Are they allowed to touch ...
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What is the significance behind saffron and turmeric mixed rice shower in hindu marriage?
In south indian hindu marriages bride and groom shower each other with turmeric rice. what is the reason/story behind this ritual practice? Some says it is the significance of glory, desire for ...
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Are Hindu scriptures pro- or anti-dowry?
Do Hindu scriptures discuss the topic of dowry (which Google defines as "property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage")?
Do they take pro or anti stance on this practice?
...
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Were there "Awards" during ancient times?
In today's times, for every aspect of life, there is an award -- be it films, companies, schools, science, literature, arts, sports, competition, talent and so on ...
In ancient times, according to ...
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Why are non-Hindus not allowed inside temples?
Many Hindu temples have a board which says 'only Hindus allowed beyond this point.'
What is the reason for this?
Was there a historical event which led to this kind of rule in Hindu temples?
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Are there finer classifications than the 4-varna/guna classification in scripture?
Priests, Warriors, Traders, Labourers is fine and dandy but where do scientists, journalists and artists, to name a few temperaments/occupations, fit into this?
I remember reading that a Soviet ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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