The Indian culture can be quite complex and difficult for foreigners to comprehend. But by looking at the meaning of some of their customs, we can gain some insight into the beautiful and sometimes bizarre world of India! We have included a few here to whet your appetite!
You’ll hear the phrase ‘Namaste’ quite a lot while roaming the streets of India. The term is a traditional form of greeting where you place your palms together in front of your chest and bow your head whilst saying ‘namaste’. This greeting is for all ages and all persons whether they are friends or strangers. In Sanskrit, ‘namaste’ means – ‘I bow to you’ which has the spiritual significance of reducing one’s ego in the presence of another. The gesture is recognition that the divine life force is the same in all; the meeting of the palms indicates this oneness. So the greeting is literally saying ‘ the divinity in me recognises (bows down to) the divinity in you’.
The lighting of lamps is also a common practice you might notice. In most Indian homes, a ghee or oil lamp is lit daily (at dawn and/or dusk) before the altar ‘of the Divine’. Light symbolises knowledge, and darkness ignorance. Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Knowledge is also a lasting inner wealth by which outer achievements can be accomplished. Hence the lamp is lit to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolises negative tendencies and the wick represents the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, negative tendencies get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes.Something that you will definitely notice is Indian people wearing marks on their foreheads. The tilak or pottu worn on the forehead is recognised as a religious mark. Its form and colour vary according to one’s caste, religious sect or the form of God worshipped. It covers the spot between the eyebrows, which is the centre of memory and thinking. In the language of yoga, it is known as the aajna chakra. The tilak is usually applied with a prayer such as ‘May I remember the Lord. May the Divine life force pervade all my activities. May I be righteous in my deeds’. Even if the resolve is forgotten during the day, the tilak on another person reminds the wearer.
You can see and experience these customs first hand by joining one of our upcoming tours.
Click here for our full list of tours.
If you are feeling inspired and spontaneous we still have a few places on our tour departing April 17th 2014
North Indian Healing Tour. Be quick!
Call us on 1300722932 or email info@touchofspirittours.com.au
See you next week.
