General Supersitions in India

Millions of Indians believe that they get lucky doing or not doing certain things. How did Indians get to be so superstitious? In the past, several practices were upheld for valid reasons. For instance, Indians believe that while cutting nails, if any nails fall inside the house, poverty is sure to strike that household. What began as a scare to make one clean up after cutting nails is now a superstitious belief!

Some superstitions are based on religion too. For the number of regions, temples, gods and goddesses in India, it comes as no surprise that superstitions based on religion abound. 

Here below is a list of select Indian superstitions. You can use them to have a good laugh if you think these are a bunch of old wives tales or if you are the superstitious type, beware!! 

•A black cat crossing your path is a sure sign of misfortune

•Cutting nails at night is evil

•Giving away old clothes on Friday brings disaster on the person/family that gives the clothes away

•Do not mop when someone from the house is travelling

•A broom gets attached to the house it sweeps. So if you move house, don’t take the broom along.

•While shifting home, never sweep and clean the house vacated as this signifies scooping the wealth off the house.

•Never dispose garbage after the lights are put on in the evening.

•Sewing after lights are on in the evening brings bad luck.

•Nothing should be given or received with the left hand.

•If you have hiccups it means someone is thinking of you.

•If you hear dogs howl, it indicates that something bad is going to happen.

•When you see someone go out, never ask where he/she is going as it brings bad luck.

•A woman is considered unclean during her menstrual cycle. She cannot enter the kitchen or temple at that time.

•If a lizard falls on your head, you are doomed. There are other superstitions based on which body part the lizard falls on too.

•If you see a married woman with floral adornment on her head and kum kum on her forehead, you are fortunate. However sighting a widow is regarded a sign of misfortune.

There is really no end to Indian Superstitions. New ones come up every day and majority Indians dare not disregard these superstitious beliefs.

Supersitions in Indian Wedding

A matrimonial event in India comes with a lot of baggage with respect to traditions and superstitions. A wedding is considered to be among the most sacred events in the lives of people and hence all the possible measures are taken to make sure that no negativity encroaches upon the events of the marriage as well as the happiness in the lives of the couple hereafter.

Among the many factors that are taken into consideration before a couple gets married, the most important one is that of the presence of the mangal dosha. The existence of this dosha is believed to have catastrophic results on the couple and hence extra care is taken in form of astrological counseling, rituals and prayers to make sure that there is no occurrence of unwanted events during the course of the life of either the bride or groom.

Speaking of the wedding event itself, there are number of traditions and rituals that are followed around the country to minimize the negative effect of the ‘evil eye’ on the bride or the groom. Here are some of the most popular and common traditions –

1. After the engagement, many families believe that if the bride carries a knife or any other such sharp metal object with she at all times, she will be able to easily protect her virtue from the world including from her own fiance.

2. Some Indian cultures believe that it is good luck if a cat eats out of the left shoe of a bride or a groom a week before the big day.

3. At the same time, many families take is as bad luck if boiling milk spills over during or right before the wedding. It is taken a sign of an impending disaster.

4. As orthodox as it may sound, in many villages of India, if the family of the groom is on the way to express their liking towards a prospective bride, it is believed that they may reject the offer in fear of bad luck if they spot a blind man, monk or pregnant woman on the way.

5. At the same time, it is considered to be good luck if the family spots wolves pigeons or goats. It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress.

6. It is considered highly unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding outfit.

7. While borrowing a wedding dress brings your good luck, it is believed to bring back luck to the one who lends it.

8. The bride along with other women of the household are known to send lentil balls to the house of the groom as a sign to ensure that the kitchen is always filled with food to eat at all times.

9. While it is considered bad luck to see an open grave, lizard, pig or a cockerel crow on your wedding, it is considered good luck to see a rainbow, black cat or chimney sweep on your wedding day.

Many of these superstitions may sound extremely conservative to a modern, progressive family; irrespective of their historical relevance, traditions and superstitions such as that of the mangal dosha are very much prevalent even in today’s more educated environment. Instead of blindly following any one of these, it is recommended that you first get a clear understanding behind each one’s relevance and apply what’s practical in your personal lifestyle.