3. What is Superstition?
A superstition is a belief or way of
behaving that is based on fear of the
unknown and faith in magic or luck::
Certain events or things will be bring
good or bad luck.
4. Beliefs in superstition
Past superstition
Sati
◦ The act of burning alive or burial of widow along with the
body of her deceased husband .
Widows
◦ widows are considered as inauspicious, seeing widows
brings bad luck most of the at the morning .
Animal and bird sacrifice
◦ The sacrifice of goats and buffaloes is observed in some
festivals in India.
5. Animal superstition
◦ If a black cat crosses your path, you need to
stop where you are . If you cross the that line
without anyone else crossing it first , you will
get bad luck.
6. ◦ In some part it is believed
that if 3 lizards come towards
you ,it is sign of marriage but
if 4 or more lizards come
towards you, it is sign of
upcoming death.
◦ It can believe that snakes
can drink milk , during the
festival of Nag panchami
snakes are captured and
force-fed milk. As a result
several thousand snakes die
annually .
7. ◦ To sea a peacock before a journey is
considered as auspicious.
◦ If a dog starts crying then something bad will
be happen.
◦ If a lizard makes sound when you make a
statement it indicates what you said is true.
8. Astrology
◦ Rahukaalam(or rahukala)is an inauspicious
period of time every day.
◦ A person born under the influence of Mars is
called a manglik or having Mangala Dosha.
people avoid marrying such a person
especially if the person is a women. Marriage
with such a person is believed to cause maritial
discord and divorce , even sometimes death.
However it is believed that if two manglik’s
marry the effects of both cancel out.
9. Luck and auspiciousness
◦ Adding one rupee to a gift sum is auspicious i.e.
sums like 21or 101 rupees are considered as more
auspicious than say 20 or 100
◦ Never ask question “where are you going?” while
they are leaving house . its purpose will not be
fulfilled.
◦ Repeatedly yawning indicates that someone is
missing you.
◦ Sneezing once when you make statement
indicates that what you said is true.
10. ◦ Saturdays are considered very in
auspicious ,as it is associated with
the god Shani (saturn).
◦ It is believed that looking in a
broken mirror may bring bad luck.
◦ In India if you sweep your house
after sunset Lakshmi will walk out of
the house and hence inviting
poverty.
Teen tigada kam bighda
11. ◦ People don’t shave
get a haircut or cut
their nails on Tuesday
,Thursday or
Saturday believing
that it will invite bad
luck.
◦ On you way out if
you sneeze you
should stop for
sometime.
12. Food related superstition
◦ Garlic keeps vampires away and it
also protect from an evil eye.
◦ Spilling salt brings bad luck , the only
way to turn it back the bad luck is to
throw some salt with your right hand
over your left shoulder.
◦ There are several methods of warding
of an “evil eye”. Lemon and chilli
totems are a common method.
◦ Never cross or jump across the lemon
on the road
13. Ghosts and other supernatural
beings
◦ Peepal trees are belived to be the
abode of ghosts and they are
avoided at night.
◦ Banyan trees are also believed to
be inhabited by malevolent
spirits.
◦ If you look into a mirror
belonging to a person , you might
see their ghost.(especially if they
looked at in it right before dying)
14. Sleeping with a scissor or a knife under
your pillow avoid bad dreams .
If a rocking chair rocks by itself it is a ghost.
15.
16. Other superstition
◦ Calling measles and chicken-pox by the name
“Mata”.
◦ During house warming ceremony the milk is
heated in vessel in such a way that it will
overflow towards east direction.
◦ Never sleep with your head facing north or
west.
◦ Cawing of crow or itching right palm it
indicates guest will be come at home.
17. Reason behind the “Superstition”
◦ The black cat superstition : In the villages the
roads used be uneven and people in those days
walked without slippers . when they were
cautioned about the black cat , they would be
careful while walking on the road.
◦ Don’t go near tree at night : If you go near the
tree at night the ghost will catch you.
At night plants give out carbon dioxide , if you go
near it will inhale that . thus the superstition made
to prevent people from practicing it.
18. If you sneeze while walk you might loose your
focus on road and hurt yourself that’s why
when you sneeze stop for sometime.
Mirror superstition : During old times mirror
were not cheap and they were low quality and
easily defected.
In order to negligence it was told that breaking
mirror brings bad luck .
19. In the olden days there was no electricity and
shaving or cutting nails would result in cuts after
sunset because of darkness , hence our ancestors
advised not to cut nails or shave after sunset.
The real reason behind the not sweeping house after
sunset is , in back days there was no electricity ,light
of lamp was not enough to spot any small gold
ornaments while sweeping and hence chances of
sweeping them away with the dust is high. Hence it
was not advised to sweep after dark.
If you place your head to the north and stay 5 or 6
hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your
brain .
20. News
◦ During 1999-2006 it seems that there is 200 cases
of child sacrifice in Utter Pradesh .
◦ In June 2013 , National Commission for
Women(NCW) reported that, between 2001and
2006 300 people were killed due to superstition of
black magic in state of Assam.
◦ 2005 and 2010 about 35 witchcraft related
murders reportedly took place in Odisa .
◦
21. In Muzaffarpur district three women are branded
as witch and humiliated, after words they commit
suicide.
22.
23.
24. Acts
Sati (prevention) act 1987
Prevention of witch hunt act 1999
The Maharashtra prevention and
Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other
inhuman ,Evil eye and Aghori practices
and Black magic act 2013
25. Conclusion
In conclusion ,it is easy
to see that our world is
filled with ordinary ,
everyday customs that
we take for granted , but
which are rooted in
superstitions.
◦ Most of us engage in
superstitious behavior
without even thinking about
it .
◦ Superstition in every aspect
of life have existed since the
beginning of time and will
always be with us .
