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One day when I was about to go out, there is a freaky cat passed across me then my parents didn't allowed me out. Other time when a snake attacked me, father killed it and then crushed it's head. I asked why he crushed even after it died, he replied that it see us and take revenge in its next birth.
Silly Right? But when I googled it, I came to know how some superstitions evolved eventually and some related scientifically. Now I am gonna tell you those and I am sure you will learn something new.
15 Scientifically Proved Indian Superstitions:
1. Taking Bath after Attending Funerals
Its very simple reason behind it. The deceased one's body can be the home for various types of bacteria and infections and once the funeral is performed, the infections spread into the air and then person to person. This is why it is advisable to take bath as soon as you return the funeral to prevent unnecessary spreading of infections.
2. Cats Passes Across You is a Bad Sign
| Cat crossing the road (source: Anari Minds) |
Earlier, in the times of 1800's , during night people used to travel through forests in bullock carts with kerosene lanterns. There are forest cats (leopards and jackal foxes) passing across them. These forest cats have glowing eyes which scare the cows, horses and bulls pulling the bullock carts. These animals lose control with fear and the traveler help them to refresh. This takes some time which halts the travelling. Those who experienced these traveling told the whole story to others and also recommended not to proceed while forest cats crossing you at the night times. This eventually mislead through years and people took domestic cats in the place of forest cats.
3. Plastering Walls With Cow Dung
People in most of the Indian villages, plaster walls with cow dung thinking its auspicious in Hindu rituals. But our ancestors used to plaster the walls and the floor with cow dung as a insert and reptiles repellent, As the inserts and reptiles (lizards and snakes) cannot bear the pungent smell of the cow dung.
4. Opening Umbrella Indoors is a Bad Luck
Not a big explanation, Umbrella's are made using hard metal spokes and spring triggers. If a person opening Umbrella, it could be very dangerous to the person standing nearby or a thing nearby can be damaged.
5. Hanging Chillies and Lemon In Business Places Makes Business Success
There is superstition that, Alaxmi godess of misfortune brings bad luck to the business. To avoid this, shop owners hang 7 chillies and 1 lemon. Hanging those will make alaxmi to eat them because she love sour, pungent and spicy thing. And then turn around without entering the shop.
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| 7 Chilly's and 1 Lemon (source: Indiatoday) |
But the truth is the thread used to tie Chillies and lemon absorb acid from the those and smells pungent. This pungent smell keeps pest and inserts away from the shops.
6. Crush Snake Head After Killing It
There a myth that, after killing snake, if we won't crash the head, It just remember seeing us and take revenge on us in its next birth.
The truth is Snake after being killed, or even after separating its head from tail, still it has very small amount of life left so that it can bite people around it. So crushing its head will ensure that its completely died and now it safe for all.
7. Women Not Allowed to Religious Places and for Work During Menstruation
During Menstruation, Women feel so uncomfortable and irritating with pain in their abdomen. In order to take rest they are not even allowed to cook in the kitchen. Also earlier, there are no menstrual pads and sanitary napkins to clean over bleeding and to be hygiene. So They are not allowed for those 5 critical and uncomfortable days. But even today it's blindly followed as a superstition.
8. Stepping Out During Solar Eclipse
In India, it is believed that during an eclipse one must not wander out, since it is believed that the sun is swallowed up by the demon. Especially pregnant women, must stay indoors in order to ensure that their babies are not born with any deformities. Some families avoid cooking and eating altogether during an eclipse.
However, the reason behind some of these superstitions can be scientific. One should actually avoid going out during an eclipse in order to keep away from the harmful UV rays.
9. Not to Sleep Facing Head Towards North
According to Vastu Shastra, you should not sleep with your head towards the north. As per Hinduism, only the head of the dead body is placed in the direction of North. Maybe, this is just to make people believe that it is not the correct position.
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| Magnetic Field Lines of Earth (source: Peter Reid) |
Our ancestors knew about the relation between Earth's magnetic field and the human body's biomagnetism. They probably made this rule of sleeping with your head in the South because of the harmful effects related to blood pressure and other diseases that asymmetry with the Earth's magnetic field would create.
10. Wearing Gem Stone Rings Brings Good Fortune
Indians consult astrologers for what they should do to make themselves rich or become free of sins, and more. Then astrologers tend to provide them with different gemstones as per their Kundali. Then, people wear these gemstones with the belief that whatever happens will be to their benefit.
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| Different colour gem stones. |
Just think, can anyone change the planets and their effect on them simply wearing rings. But one thing is right that, different types of stones makes our brain to concentrate on thing much more efficiently, With their different colors reflecting different frequencies of light, our brain feel different levels of concentration. Also different metals holding the rings have some scientific benefits with our body.
11. Sweeping House After Sunset Is a Bad Luck
This is another common myth in India. If you sweep your house after sunset Lakshmi will walk out of the house and hence inviting poverty.
But the real reason is, earlier days when there was no electricity, light of lamp was not enough to spot any small gold ornaments or other important things while sweeping and hence chances of sweeping them away with the dust is high. Hence it was not advised to sweep after dark.
12. Throwing Coins In The River Is a Good Sign
Water we drink everyday contain various types of metals dissolved in it, Copper is one of it which is essential for us. In the ancient times, not even long ago, The currency coins used were made up of copper, if thrown in water, slowly it dissolves and make copper rich water.
Today, the currency coins are made with steel, throwing it in the water make no sense except losing our earnings.
13. Lizard Falling On Human's Body is a Bad Luck
In India, every movement of the lizard holds some significance according to Gowli Shastra. The colour, spots, stripes, twittering (repeated sound) of the lizard and where it falls on a person’s body are said to indicate future happenings.
However the fact is that, lizards release poisonous chemicals from their body in order to protect them from their enemies. If such lizard comes in contact of a person’s body or falls in a food item, then it will be contaminated. Washing that particular spot and area is enough to avoid infectious disease.
14. Intake Curd and Sugar Before Going Out
According to Indian culture and some superstitions in society today, it is believed that it will bring good luck to the person consuming it.
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| Curd & Sugar (source: Times of India) |
The scientific reason behind this Superstition is that the intake of sugar helps to energize your body by supplying glucose to the brain. Curd is known to have soothing effects on the body and mind therefore, eating sugar with curd helps in providing instant energy to the body.
15. Walking Under a Ladder is Bad Luck
There are a couple of theories about this superstitious belief. Many Christians are believers in the Trinity—that God is made up of three parts, the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). A ladder leaning up against a building was seen as a triangle of these three. To walk through this triangle was seen as breaking the Trinity and hence considered as bad luck. However the fact is that, it is simply unsafe to walk under the ladder and you may get hurt or might hurt someone around by knocking the ladder down.
Finally it's clear that, most of our Ancestors are aware of scientific things said "what to do & what not", which through years, now became superstitions.
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