Truth Behind Some Common Superstitions In India

MYTH AND MYTHOLOGY

Have you ever been pointed out by your parents or elders over cutting nails inside the house at night? If yes have you ever wondered why they tell so? What is the reason behind it and should we really need to stop cutting nails at night? Let’s find out as I explain the truth behind some myths and superstitions prevailing in India.

Cutting Nails at Night

As I already discussed about it earlier, so why is this still said not to cut nails at night. This myth belongs to that times when we used lamps or candles to lighten up our house at night and at that time we didn’t have nail cutters to cut our nails. Sharp objects like blades/knives or stones were used to cut. Such sharp objects can cause serious injuries if used in low visibility such at night, therefore it was advised not to cut at night.

And what about doing it inside the house? The cut nails can prick into someone’s foot and can cause pain.

Offering prayers to some plants

In India we consider many plants and trees to be sacred, eg. Tulsi and peepal. It is written in our Hindu Subscripts, that each house must plant a Tulsi plant and pay them regards. But why is it so? Why other plants not offered prayers? Or why they have been given such special importance?

The closest and possible explanation to this can be that both tulsi and peepal and even neem plants unlike normal trees emit oxygen at night and are of great medicinal values. The ancestors knew that if they are not religiously connected then the people won’t care or protect them

Ghosts live on peepal tree

Having said about the benefits of peepal tree in the above para, yet we don’t find any of these in home or in our house’s garden? It is rumoured in villages that ghosts resides on peepal tree and even the old panchtantra’s stories described the same. So why is it said so?

The roots of peepal tree are very strong and spread over a very large surface area. They are so strong that it can damage the foundation of houses. Therefore a fear of ghost living on peepal tree was established so that peepal do not plant it near their houses.    

Throwing Coins in the river

In my childhood, I was very fascinated to come across a bridge over a river. I would lower my window and threw a coin in the river wishing for good luck. Regardless of knowing why we did it, I used to do it every time I come across a river.

It was later when I grow up my father told me why coins are thrown into the river and why it is of no use today. Going back into Ancient and Medieval history the currency coins were generally made of copper.  There was a ritual that every time you visit a river , one must throw a coin in order pay regards to the Almighty and wishing for the betterment of humanity. Hence the copper content in water used to increase and the water they drank had copper in it. Copper which is essential for the proper functioning of our organs and metabolic processes, used to enter our body through the water. Hence copper requirement was fulfilled.

But today’s coins are made of stainless steel, and hence it is useless to throw coins in the river. One should rather buy something eatable and give away to a needy.

Sleeping with the head facing North Direction

There’s always been confusion about the correct explanation to why one should not sleep with his head facing north. The Vaastu Shastra says that our body acts a magnet with head as the North Pole. So if we keep our head towards the north, it repels the Earth’s Magnetic Field and can affect the normal blood circulation in the body and cause disturbed sleep. East direction is considered to be the best. At least this explanation is far better than accepting the fact that sleeping in north direction is an invitation to ghosts or bad dreams.

As far as science is concerned, it is the right sleeping position that matters not the sleeping direction.

Avoid sweeping the floor in the evening/night

Elders usually point out not to sweep the floor after sunset as it brings bad luck and welcomes all evil sights. Does our luck rely on mere cleanliness of the floor?

Imagine in a house in the evening where there is no electricity, all the lighting is done through lamps and candles, you lose your earing or any small piece of jewellery. Due to low visibility you are not quite able to find it. Another member of your family is sweeping the floor. Unaware of where it fell, he/she swept the floor and you lost your valuable. Hence it clearly explains why it was not advisable to sweep the floor in the evening. But now we all have access to electricity so, we need not to worry about cleaning the floor at night.

 Cats crossing your path

It is a very common superstition not only prominent in India but in other countries as well. People usually change their paths if by chance a cat crosses their path. People fear that if a cat crosses their path then surely anything bad would occur to them. So what was that thing that made this superstition become so common.

In medieval time or in rural areas, people usually covered long distances on carriages run by bullocks or horses with a kerosene run lantern. It was quite common for those people to cross forests through their journey. So they may come across a wild cat (tiger or leopard) which would frighten the horse and it could go mad and cause any accident and injury to the rider. It was advised by the frequent travellers to change their path as soon as they see a cat. Over the time those paths became roads and tigers and leopards to simply cats. But a precaution developed into a superstition over the time.

Hanging Lemon-Chilli to Avoid Bad Luck

In India it is a common sight to see lemons and chillies hanging outside houses, shops, carts and inside vehicles. It is usually hung in belief that it prevents evil sights and bad luck. There is a story of Alakshmi that follows with this superstition. Alakshmi ( sister of Lakshmi , who takes prosperity, i.e brings poverty) likes sour and pungent substances. So by hanging it outside the hous , she comes and eat her food and leave the house without entering the house, hence keeping poverty and bad luck away.

The logic or possible explanation to it is that cotton thread absorbs smell and flavour of lemon and chilli, and vaporizes them into air. The smell keeps the insects and pest away from house. Hence automatically prevents from diseases caused by these pests. However such conventional methods can be replaced by any insect/pest repellent.

Broken glass and using scissor without cutting anything invites disputes and quarrels

It is said that one must not keep shattered pieces of glass in house as it brings quarrels in the family. One must get rid of the broken glass immediately. The simple logic can be understood that broken glass can cause injury to anyone. Similarly showing carelessness while using a scissor can cause injury, therefore in order to dissuade people using scissors without any reason and keeping broken glass at home a fear was created around it.

Excluding women having periods from certain activities

One of the most social evil of society is restricting women doing her day to day common activities. Some of the superstitions involved around menstruation are :

1.      Not allowing entry into temple and religious functions.

2.      Avoiding cooking and eating with others.

3.      Believing that menstrual blood is impure

4.      Taking time off during menstruation.

We consider menstruation as taboo. It is ridiculous to think that entering of girls or eating pickles during periods is harmful or not good for society. It is our responsibility to spread awareness to the fact that Menstruation is quite normal. It is even crazy to know that this is still considered as a taboo in many parts of our country. We need to move on from this backward mentality and physcology, we still have a lot to achieve as a nation. Womem were prohibited from doing work so as to avoid discomfort to women during periods as at that times sanitary pads weren't invented. 

Some people think periods as a medical problem that occurs to girls that they need to tackle. It’s completely wrong. There is nothing a woman needs to change during those days, it is natural, there is nothing like medications required during periods. It is this awareness that we need to spread among all the people in all parts of the country.

Girls should discuss about it with their parents and eliminate all the taboos regarding it. It is quite shameful to say that the Goddess they pray inside the temple is the same people permit to enter the temple.

There are lot of superstitions prevailing in our country, few of them can be explained and others are mere accepted as facts and followed. I hope that the current generation doesn’t simply pass of these superstitions to the future generations without explaining and knowing the real reason behind them. 

Do share and comment below if you have anything to say about this article or have something to share with me.Also read my other articles below.

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