INDIA, the land of DIVERSITY, CULTURE, CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, FESTIVALS, and CELEBRATIONS, got INDEPENDENT from the UNITED KINGDOM on 15th August 1947. Since, then we call ourselves FREE- free from any kind of BONDAGES, EXPLOITATION, and from any kind of SLAVERY. It’s been already 74 years of “INDEPENDENCE”, from DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ROADS, to have WATER SUPPLY to ALMOST EVERY REGION, from BUILDING AEROPLANES to HAVE CONQUERED TIME AND SPACE, from NEW TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS to SENDING SATELLITES TO THE SPACE! ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS, YET NOT DEVELOPED! ALL THESE ACHIEVEMENTS, YET HAVE LOST! WHY??? SUPERSTITIONS!! There is no other country like INDIA in the world. Here, SCIENCE and SUPERSTITIONS go hand in hand. While we have sent powerful ROCKETS into space, at the same time we also fret if a Black Cat crosses our path! From trying to alter our DESTINY with GEMSTONES, to warding off evil from lemon and chilly totems, from not sweeping after SUNSET, to not CUTTING NAILS on SATURDAYS, It has been seen that people in INDIA still believes in many SUPERSTITIONS.
BUT, WHAT ARE SUPERSTITIONS? WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? WHAT ARE THE SUPERSTITIONS STILL PREVALENT IN INDIA? Well, WIKIPEDIA SAYS, SUPERSTITIONS refers to any belief or practice that is caused by SUPERNATURAL CASUALTIES and which contradicts MODERN SCIENCE. But, in simple terms, It may be defined as ILLOGICAL, or UNREASONABLE BELIEFS, ACCEPTANCE OF CERTAIN PHENOMENON, as it is without trying to know it’s cause! It also involves belief in OMENS, CHARMS, DEMONS, WITCHES, USELESS CEREMONIES and in the EXISTENCE OF SUPERNATURAL BEINGS. In this age of SCIENTIFIC REASONING, LOGIC and PROGRESS, SUPERSTITIONS still cloud the MIND of COMMON MAN.
The WEST- to an extent has been successful in erasing out SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS through the spread of EDUCATION and PUBLIC AWARENESS. But, HAS INDIA BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN WARDING OFF THESE SUPERSTITIONS? Well, we all know!! The Answer is NO! SUPERSTITIONS have greater hold in the still DEVELOPING COUNTRIES including INDIA! INDIA for long was considered as a LAND OF SNAKE CHARMERS, MAGICIANS, WITCHES, and STRANGE SIGHTS. The more PROGRESSIVE and SCIENTIFIC we are, the more BACKWARD, SUPERSTITIOUS and IGNORANT we are in this MODERN ERA!
SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS and PRACTICES often vary from one person to another, or from one culture to another. SUPERSTITIONS are usually attributed to LACK OF EDUCATION, however this has not always been the case in INDIA, as there are many Educated people and societies who still believes in certain kinds of SUPERSTITIONS. SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS and PRACTICES vary from one region to another region, ranging from harmless acts like LEMON and CHILLY TOTEMS, to MOST HARMFUL and DANGEROUS acts like WITCH-BURNING. SUPERSTITIONS are long held BELIEFS that appeared to be rooted in coincidence or cultural traditions rather than LOGICS and FACTS. SUPERSTITIONS are often connected to the RELIGIOUS PRACTICES that are widespread in the Past. Being part of TRADITION and RELIGION, these beliefs and practices have been passed down from one generation to another for CENTURIES. The INDIAN GOVERNMENT has tried to put new laws prohibiting such practices into effect, but due to rich history of such SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES, these laws often faced a lot of opposition from GENERAL PUBLIC NARENDRA DHABOLKAR in 2013, an ANTI- SUPERSTITION SPECIALIST was fatally shot by two bikers for requesting the enactment of a law that prohibited BLACK MAGIC. Here are some of the OLD-AGE BELIEFS that we can’t seem to let go off:.
* DO NOT SWEEP AFTER SUNSET: This is an activity you’re prohibited from doing once the SUN is DOWN, or else you might have to endure some ROTTEN LUCK soon. There seems to be no LOGIC behind this, But people do still follow this. *DO NOT CUT NAILS AFTER SUNSET: Cutting NAILS after dark is a strict NO-NO, unless you want to invite some UNWELCOME MISFORTUNE into your life. *ECLIPSES ARE BAD OMEN FOR PREGNANT WOMEN: Pregnant Women in INDIA have a hard time during ECLIPSES. Not only they are suppose to stay indoors during the entire time, they are not even allowed to sit CROSS-LEGGED. GOD forbid the baby should be born with ugly marks all over its BODY.
*LEMON AND CHILLIES CAN WARD OFF THE EVIL: As long as you hang a string of SEVEN CHILLIES and a LEMON outside your home, NO EVIL will dare APPROACH YOU. This charm also applies to one’s place of work.
*WEARING GEMSTONE BRINGS YOU GOOD FORTUNE: INDIA, we frequently consult some astrologers who advices us to wear certain GEMSTONES to improve our FATE. It gives them assurance that no tragedy will ever strike them.
*IF A BLACK CAT CROSSES YOUR PATH, THEN YOUR TASKS GET POSTPONED: At some point, Black Cats are associated with evil forces. It is said in HINDU COMMUNITY, that if a black cat crosses your path while you are going somewhere, don’t go!! As your task will either be delayed or get postponed. There seems to be no LOGIC behind THIS. But people in INDIA still follow this, ILLOGICALLY.
The LIST of such SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS and PRACTICES is ENDLESS and all of them are amusing in Their own ways. The belief in EVIL EYE, WEARING OF TABEEZ AND CHARMS to ward off ill-luck are all kind of SUPERSTITIONS found in INDIA. It is most discouraging to see that many a times Educated people are in a habit of indulging into SUPERSTITIONS as much as the illerate ones in the country. At some point and places, we have been successful in evading SUPERSTITIONS and to an extent a little more effort is needed to completely remove them from our daily lives!
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