Engagement ceremony
Through an interview with Mrs. Mallika Ranganathan, this article details the traditional Brahmin (Iyengar/Iyer) customs and procedures involved in an engagement (Nischayathartham).…
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Traditions
7 articles
Whistling village, where people are known by tunes
In the village of Kongthong, Meghalaya, residents follow the unique *Jingrwai Iawbei* tradition, where every individual is assigned a unique musical tune at birth to serve as their…
Thimithi, firewalking ritual
Thimithi is a Hindu ritual, rooted in the Mahabharata, where devotees walk barefoot across blazing coals to demonstrate purity or fulfill religious vows. Primarily practiced in Tam…
Sati handprints
Located within Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort, the gilded "Sati marks" near the Loha Pol gate serve as a somber memorial to royal widows who practiced Sati, the tradition of self-immola…
Om Banna Temple
The Om Banna Temple in Rajasthan, India, is a unique shrine dedicated to a Royal Enfield motorcycle believed to house the spirit of Om Singh Rathore. Following Rathore's mysterious…
Nidhivan, the mystical forest
Nidhivan is a sacred forest in Vrindavan, India, where legend holds that Tulasi trees transform into Gopis every night to join Radha and Krishna in a divine dance. Due to the fores…
Malana: Don't touch the villagers
Malana is a village in Himachal Pradesh, India, that follows an ancient governance system ruled by the deity Jamlu Devta. To maintain community purity, residents enforce a strict "…