Encyclopaedia of Indian Customs and Rituals

by Anil Kumar Dwivedi

Many of our customs are designed to be simple but powerful reminders or pointers of profound philosophical truths. This is one of the factors that have kept Indian culture alive across centuries.

Hinduism is the religion of the majority of the population of India. The holy books of the religion namely the Vedas and the Upanishads clearly explain the rituals and their mystical contents. They also explain in detail the observance of sacrificial and purification rituals. Hinduism is another name for what is known as Sanatana Dharma or the Religious Prennis. Any one person did not propound Hinduism. Hinduism has a number of Holy Books, including the Bhagavad-Gita, which is credited to Krishna, The Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas.

It is not the object of this book to offer directly any analysis of animism or of the religion of the Prophet, still less to follow any of the many side tracks taken by Hindu philosophy, but primarily to record as many customs as possible before it is too late, and to attempt to show how far the concept of a supernatural cosmic power dominates popular practice.