Superstitions in Indian Society
Superstitions in Indian Society
Superstitions are a commonly witnessed phenomenon. They can be seen anywhere, anytime, whether at home, in office or on the way. People of every caste, creed or community are superstitious. Though the forms of superstition may vary, their presence can be felt in every society. It is a universal phenomenon. Even the people of highly rational West are superstitious. It is an integral part of human society.
To stop all of a sudden to see a cat crossing our path is a widely seen phenomenon in Indian society. It is almost universally believed that this is likely to bring failure to the mission of the person who is going to cross the road after it first being crossed by the cat. Similarly, the howl of the dog at the deadly hours of night instills a feeling of horror resulting from the fear of the death of some near and dear one.
The third very frequently practised superstition is that when someone sneezes at the departure time of a person, it is believed that he is going to flop in his mission. Such practices which do not have rational ground and are termed as superstitions.
Superstitions have been prevalent in society since time immemorial. They have their origin in illiteracy, i.e. lack of rational belief, scientific attitude and also lack of faculty to interpret certain events. Its origin can be traced back to pre¬historic times when people did not have knowledge and exposure as we do have today.
Nor the people of those days had any control over forces of nature. In such a situation superstitions were bora as a means to satisfy the causes and effects of some mishappenings. Such incidences are said to have been caused by some supernatural elements. Gradually, these interpretations of events in life received acceptability and were passed on from generations to generations. In course of time they became part and parcel to social life.
Evidences of superstitious practices can be found even in the earliest human settlements in the
Superstitions are a commonly witnessed phenomenon. They can be seen anywhere, anytime, whether at home, in office or on the way. People of every caste, creed or community are superstitious. Though the forms of superstition may vary, their presence can be felt in every society. It is a universal phenomenon. Even the people of highly rational West are superstitious. It is an integral part of human society.
To stop all of a sudden to see a cat crossing our path is a widely seen phenomenon in Indian society. It is almost universally believed that this is likely to bring failure to the mission of the person who is going to cross the road after it first being crossed by the cat. Similarly, the howl of the dog at the deadly hours of night instills a feeling of horror resulting from the fear of the death of some near and dear one.
The third very frequently practised superstition is that when someone sneezes at the departure time of a person, it is believed that he is going to flop in his mission. Such practices which do not have rational ground and are termed as superstitions.
Superstitions have been prevalent in society since time immemorial. They have their origin in illiteracy, i.e. lack of rational belief, scientific attitude and also lack of faculty to interpret certain events. Its origin can be traced back to pre¬historic times when people did not have knowledge and exposure as we do have today.
Nor the people of those days had any control over forces of nature. In such a situation superstitions were bora as a means to satisfy the causes and effects of some mishappenings. Such incidences are said to have been caused by some supernatural elements. Gradually, these interpretations of events in life received acceptability and were passed on from generations to generations. In course of time they became part and parcel to social life.
Evidences of superstitious practices can be found even in the earliest human settlements in the