Indian Culture, Women

What if Taj Mahal, what if elephants, what if sacred cows… We are too used to seeing India as a slightly caricatured place and the truth is that it is much more than that.

Just as Spain is not just about paella and flamenco, this Asian country has a rich culture and great tradition that often goes unnoticed.

Do you want to know more about  Indian culture ? Well, stay with me, I promise you that it will be fun and you will learn to see India from another prism.

Indian Culture: Women

To understand the role of women in this country, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of this place. It is a country with many years of history, but with a very recent democratic tradition.

They only achieved independence in 1947, which makes Indian society quite complex.

What is it like to be a woman according to Indian culture?

Being a woman in India is not easy. Their role in society is completely secondary and they are often perceived as an economic burden for families.

While men can play, study and work, women have to settle for taking care of household chores.

Issues such as  arranged marriages  and dowry are the order of the day there. It is the parents who choose the future husband of their daughters.

Age and economic position are determining factors when looking for suitors. In this way, it is normal that the bride and groom do not know each other or have seen each other before the wedding.

Dowry also plays a fundamental role in marriages. This concept refers to the amount of wealth that parents give to their future son-in-law in “compensation” for agreeing to marry their daughter.

And not only that, parents must also bear the  wedding expenses . When the dowry offered is of little value, there is a risk that no one will want to marry the girl.

And she automatically becomes a spinster, which is a real  humiliation  for them.

And, if you are unlucky enough to be widowed, well, much worse. Widows are considered responsible for the misfortune of their husbands and treated as property by their in-laws.

Let us remember that they become part of them when they get married. So, the poor are  banished  to places like Vrindavan where they are condemned to live in the worst conditions, surviving on alms.

However, fortunately,  things are changing , especially in large cities, where it is increasingly common to see women working in professions or even in the armed forces.

Indian Culture: Men

As we have seen, throughout  India , social norms and practices are primarily governed by patriarchal ideologies that define the roles of men and women. This is something that is perceived from childhood, since  education  and even  nutrition  are prioritized in the case of men.

Furthermore, since they were children, men and women live separately, so interaction between both sexes is scarce. In this way, the  bonds of friendship  between men intensify and this lack of relationship between the sexes means that, often,   their first sexual experience is with their friends.

In Hinduism, a man is both the leader of the family and defined by his family. Thus, a perfect man is believed to consist of three united persons: his wife, himself, and his offspring. In fact, the Sanskrit term for “husband” means “owners.”

What are men like according to Indian culture?

Hindu men have traditionally had a reputation for ruling their homes as tyrants. When a young man gets married, it is normal for him to bring his wife home to live with her parents. The young husband is surrounded by well-known relatives and neighbors. While the young wife, however, usually finds herself in a strange home, where she is expected to follow ideal patterns of chaste and obedient behavior.

As the head of the family, in the four Hindu stages of life, a man is expected to pursue the “Three Goals”: religious merit, wealth and pleasure. These objectives are often mentioned in  Hindu law books , with special emphasis on the first of them and the second taking priority over the third.

In this country, hierarchy is very important  , so that not only do men prevail over women, but older people do so over young people. Even an adult and mature man who lives in his father’s house recognizes his authority in matters, both minor and very important.

As for family resources, particularly land or businesses, they have traditionally been controlled by family men, especially in high-status groups. Typically, according to traditional schools of Hindu law, women did not inherit land or buildings and were therefore indebted to their male relatives who controlled these vital resources.

Indian symbols

As we said at the beginning,  India has a lot of history and a long tradition , which translates into a rich culture and the presence of great symbology. In art, in food and even in the way women decorate their skin there is an implicit language.

Bindi

That point that women wear on their forehead, and that draws our attention, is called  bindi,  which literally translates as “dot” or “drop.” Married women make   this red point using  kumkum , a powder intended for this purpose. On the other hand,  single women  paint it black.

The  bindi  has a religious meaning. It refers to the  sixth chakra , also called the third eye, which is located right in that area of ​​the body. The bindi is believed to help concentration and retain energy.

Cow

For Hindus, all animals are sacred, but especially the cow.

Because?

To begin with, because in Hinduism the cow symbolizes the rest of the creatures of creation, being the means of transportation used by Shiva and, furthermore, it is an animal that with very little, just water and food, provides great riches such as milk, fertilizer and strength to till the land.

So, it is very common  to see cows decorated  with garlands during the festivities.

henna tattoos

If you are like me and you are passionate about henna tattoos, in India you will find the ideal place to be fascinated by the incredible designs with which women adorn their bodies.

This type of decoration is often seen at  parties and weddings .

Men apply it to their arms, legs, back and chest.

For women, it is usually drawn on the palm, back of the hand and on the feet, where the design will be lighter due to the contrast with the lighter skin on these surfaces, which naturally contains less melanin in these areas.

In weddings, according to Hindu tradition, the ceremony is mainly performed in the bride’s house or in a banquet hall on the eve of the wedding or a few days before it.

Generally, the bride and groom attend the event together and on the occasion, a professional artist or relative applies the  henna to the bride’s hands and feet .

It is a process that can last up to  eight hours , with the designs being very intricate. Often hidden within the pattern, the groom’s name or initials are applied.

The event usually has a festive atmosphere with women dancing and singing traditional songs and girls wearing bright colors such as pink and yellow.

This is not only done for decorative purposes, but henna tattoos reportedly have the power to confer  good luck on marriage .

Anjali Mudra

The Anjali Mudra is a gesture that is performed  by joining both hands  near the heart. It is often used as  a form of greeting and as a sign of respect  in India and other Asian countries.

Normally, the Anjali Mudra is accompanied by a slight bow of the head while saying “ Namasté ”. It is believed that by doing this you are showing your respect to the god who lives within the person you are greeting.