1) Many Hindu customs and traditions were based on scientific reasons understood by ancestors even if the scientific basis is now unknown. 2) Greeting with joined hands activates pressure points to help remember people, and avoids germs since there is no physical contact. Silver tumblers prevented infection and henna had antifungal and antibacterial properties beneficial during monsoon season. 3) Not bathing or cooking immediately after a funeral prevented spread of infection, as did avoiding cooking in the house of death for several days until neighbors provided food.

1. Facts Behind
Traditional
Practices
U. Indira Priyadharshini
S. Karthika

2.  Most of the Hindu
customs and traditions
had some scientific
reason behind them.
 Most of the Hindu
customs and traditions
are derived from our
ancestors.
 Traditions and customs
were taught at a very
young age and
followed as part of life.

3. Science
In respect to this presentation,
Science is the great antidote
to the poison of enthusiasm
for superstition.
Superstition
A superstition is a false belief
based on ignorance.
Its origin cannot be traced
back to any particular race,
religion or geographical area.

4. Joining both palms together to
greet
The general reason behind this
tradition is that greeting by
joining both the palms means
respect. However, scientifically
speaking, joining both hands
ensures joining the tips of all
the fingers together; which are
denoted to the pressure points
of eyes, ears, and mind.
Pressing them together is said
to activate the pressure points
which helps us remember that
person for a long time. And, no
germs since we don’t make
any physical contact!

5. Why Ancient people provide
drinks in Silver Tumblers?
Scientifically, the silver Metal
served a specific purpose
for the host.
The metal was germicidal
and so it helped prevent any
infection that the guests
might carry inside.

6. START ALWAYS WITH SPICY FOOD
AND END YOUR MEAL WITH SWEETS
The significance of this
eating practice is that
while spicy things activate
the digestive juices and
acids and ensure that the
digestion process goes on
smoothly and efficiently,
sweets or carbohydrates
pulls down the digestive
process.
Hence, sweets were
always recommended to
be taken as a last item.

7. DO NOT TAKE BATH IMMEDIATELY
AFTER EATING
If a person is immediately taking bath
after a meal, the digestion process
gets slowed down by a great deal as
cold water activates certain
chemicals in the body that rushes
the blood to the skin to keep it warm
and the digestion process takes a
backseat.
Bath will increase blood flow to
the hands, feet and body that
causes the amount of blood around
the stomach will continue to
decrease. This will weaken the
digestive system in our stomach.
So, it was always advised by our
ancestors to take food after having a
bath.

8. APPLYING HENNA BEFORE
AUSPICIOUS OCCASIONS
Our ancestors have advised
applying henna to hands, to the
bottom of the feet, and hair, etc.,
especially at the onset of rainy
season.
This was because during rainy
season, the susceptibility to get
infected by germs was manifold
and henna’s anti-fungal and anti-
bacterial properties were
believed to fight those germs.
Though henna is seen as an
adornment, scientifically, henna
extracts show antibacterial,
antifungal, and ultraviolet light
screening activity.

9. Plastering floor with Cow Dung is
auspicious
.Cow dung plaster is considered
auspicious just like any other
product of a cow. Hence, mostly all
rituals dictate the usage of cow
dung to plaster the floor.
Our ancestors probably started
this practice to guard against
insects and reptiles which are
repelled by the pungent smell of
cow dung.
They did not have the luxury to
buy bottled commercial
disinfectants like we do.
But over time this practice became
a ritual and we find ourselves
following it in spite of it being
redundant in the contemporary

10. Shanking legs brings bad luck ?
Shaking legs bad luck in the family.
The reason our body unintentionally
shakes our legs is in order to maintain
body heat by regulating the
temperature.
How can it be related to the invitation
of some sort of bad luck?

11. After attending a funeral, why to take bath
and why cooking is not done in those
houses?
This is preventing any infection
from the funeral house. This is
more prevalent in the villages. I.e.
Every person visiting the house of
the dead person during the
mourning period is believed to
suffer from pollution. The first
thing; he is expected to do on
leaving the house of the dead
person is to have purificatory bath.
Only after this bath, they have to
drink off even a glass of water or to
eat and enter the main parts of his
own house. The house where death
was occurred is considered
polluted and cooking is not done for
few days. The neighbors supply
them food.

12. Why do elders rotate crystal salt,
lemon around head?
Salt can be considered as the first
antibiotic. Not only that, the salty
and acidic substances would less
affect the magnetic field.
The salt and lemon when revolved
around, it would kill all the bacteria
around the person. It forms an
aura layer of antibiotics around
the person. Not only has this,
revolving around the person
balance the magnetic field too.
This would make the person
affected with drastic feel better.

13. Why should Tulsi not be
chewed with teeth?
 It is a popular belief that Tulsi
is the wife of Lord Vishnu;
therefore, chewing it will be a
mark of disrespect.
 However, botanists, in the
course of their research,
found that Tulsi plant has the
maximum of mercury. If raw
mercury is applied to teeth,
they fall immediately.
That’s why in Hindu religion, Tulsi leaves are not chewed but
swallowed.

14. While leaving home, if
someone asks, “Where
are you going?” the
work you’ve set out for
will not happen
What if a bus conductor asks you the
same question?

15. Thank you….!!!