Meaningful Traditions


Virtue of Care
Traditionally, Everyday womenfolk make designs and pictures of various kinds on the floor facing the front portion (portico) of their homes. It’s very popularly known as “Kolam podudhal” in Tamil. The idea behind this tradition is to help the ants and other soil-ridden creatures to feed on the grain powder (usually made from rice ) used to draw these designs.

Eye care

During a solar eclipse, nobody will look at the Sun directly. In order to ensure the strict compliance, tradition has made it a taboo with a story: Snake swallowing the Sun and people who gaze at this celestial event will lose their eyesight.  Actually, this practice has a scientific principle that Direct sunlight,  that too during eclipse, will affect the eye causing loss of sight itself.

Don’t sleep under a Tree
People are warned as not to sleep under a tree during night, and if violated, fatal end will come as bad evils come out during the dark. Actually, the fact remains this. Tree will emit carbon-di-oxide during the night which is harmful to human life.

Be Blessed 
It’s customary for any person to bend and touch the feet of elders when meeting them. The ancient sages and pundits always  worshiped God’s feet as the life’s elixir. For the common man, only the elders served as their god, and so the habit of bending or prostrating to seek the blessings of the latter. In fact, this constitites a physical exercise for the mind and body besides a way of respecting the elders who by virtue of their age have more knowledge and experience.

No sandals inside a temple 
Nobody is allowed to go inside a temple with sandals on their feet. Two reasons for this practice are seenVeneration for God and Recharging the Mind and Body through the transmission of magnetic and medicinal effects of the stones, flowers and twigs that exist in the temple.

Voluntary Contribution  is encouraged for the welfare of people living in a placeThat’s why hundies ( locked boxes) are kept in all the temples. Each devotee can offer whatever is possible as their donation for the common welfare and for temple expenses. The offerings can be cash or kind as ghee, oil, grains, milk,etc.. This habit kindles the thought of charity and tendency to help others including the animals, birds, etc.. Further, the donor feels happy for partaking in the worship which in turn enhances the value of life.

Tank near the temple premises forms the essential aspect of the ancient society.  This not only results in recharge of ground water but also serves as the water source for the temple and others.

Salutation.  Hindus always greet their guests and elders by saying “ Namaste” with folded hands and forward-bent heads. Actually, Na means 'None',  Ma denotes 'Mine' while ste means 'Yours.' The meaning is 'None belongs to me. Everything Yours only.'

Avoid Bath after food. People don’t take bath immediately after taking food is the actual advice contained in Hindu tradition. Because, for digestion , our body system needs heat and rest. During bath after taking food, the body gets exhausted and cool which makes the digestion slow and difficult leading to indigestion or sometimes, illness also.

Green or Dry leaf  Most of the Hindus and eateries even now use the banana or dry leaves for serving food  to the guests. Because, it’s hygienic and pleasing to the eyes  while easy to dispose also.

Neem twigs are used to be kept inserted in the roof at the entrance of a house. Leaves of Neem also used to be immersed in the water intended  for bathing. Same leaves are used to produce smoke to ward off the insects and germs. Even the paste made from these leaves is applied for healing wounds and relieving the pains from blisters and headaches.
All the above practices enable the households to stay hale and healthy. The insecticidal and medicinal value has been understood by Hindus from the Vedic period.

Worship at Temple is still done every day by many people. This is meant for 1) physical exercise when a person walks around the shrines 2) mental focus  on the  god form kept in the scuplture and the resultant benefits of concentration and peace of mind 3) exchange of knowledge and information among the deities 4) refreshing the mind thro listening to the holy mantras of god and spiritual discourse made by scholars and pundits.

Doing the sit-ups with each hand holding the opposite ears (thoppukaranam) in front of shrines of God Ganesh  is  meant to get rid of the worst evils. Actually, this also helps to recharge the body.
Similarly, persons used to roll around the shrines as per their mental commitment to the god there.This is known as Angapradekshnam. This The ritual also makes the entire body exercise.

Temple towers are taller than other structures in the town .This is deliberately done so that those like disabled ,old and ailing persons,who cannot worship at the temple can do so from their houses by raising both the hands over the head.

Unfit place Proverb says “ Never reside in a place that has no temple”. Because, God’s presence can alone protect us. That’s why people use to start anything , be it a new house, business, etc.. new with the worship of God. Even before establishing a new town, a shrine for God will be erected to seek the grace of god.

Thulsi Water is the prasadam offered in many temples.It’s a special in shrine of God Krishna or Rama.This is actually  the water made by keeping the thulsi leaves soaked in good water. This actually cleanses and protects the stomach from germs and also induces the digestion. Still better is the water collected after the bathing of god’ s statues with such tulsi water. The clusterd water discovered by modern science is said to resemble the above water .




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