Dietary Practice, Arranged Marriages

Among high-class Hindus, there exists a strong tradition of vegetarianism, a dietary practiceassociated with ritual purity. The higher one’s caste, the greater the number of rules required to maintain a state of ritual purity. However, the diet of coastal areas usually includes fish, and in practice, many Hindus eat meat, particularly in northern India, which has experienced centuries of Muslim influence.

Arranged marriage is the norm for most Hindu families. Brides usually live with their in-laws in a joint-family system, with several members of an extended family sharing the responsibilities of domestic life in one collective dwelling.

Hindu Prayer

In a Hindu’s life, the prayer forms an important component. Every action, event and the ensuing circumstances, success or failure, is filled with prayers. Therefore, in Hindu tradition, prayer takes different and numerous forms compared to other cultures, though the object and motive remain the same.

Arguably, Hinduism is the one religion with maximum number of prayers, worship, rituals and ceremonies. Waking up, going to sleep, bathing, eating meals, studies, travel, name giving, birth, death, marriage, taking medicine and commencing a new venture – to name some, prayers form the important part in all these and the whole life.