From earliest times till the twentieth century, India has had its very own unique traditions, customs, beliefs and faiths. While the idea of separation of religion from the state is recently generally accepted, there has been an evolution in the concept of Statehood itself. Since the creation of independent states in the last 70 years, there has been a profound change in the conception of what it means to be a Hindu or a Muslim. Separation of religion from state brought with it political and social changes that had a profound impact on the evolution of religions. These were accompanied by socio-economic and educational developments that altered the way people interpreted their tradition and formulated their belief systems.
India has always been known for its diversity, and the idea of a homogenous society with no mixture of races is not present. Contrary to popular belief, there have been some significant changes in the religion and culture of India. A lot of this has to do with the advent of civilizations like Mughal and British India, and the impact of Islam on society. Hindu marriages have always been a matter of great heritage, in rural and urban areas.
Some of these customs are now considered as an integral part of traditional Indian society. Veda, the Vedic chanting that forms the essence of almost all Indian spiritual traditions, is not only a crucial component of the Brahma Natana but is also used in a wide variety of other rituals. The use of astrology and tarot cards is another one of the vedic chanting traditions.
Another important tradition is the ritualistic eating of food considered most sacred by some sections of the Hindus. However, this is still done by many Hindus. The vast majority of Indians are vegetarians; however, these customs were started by the ancient sages whose wisdom thought that violence to animals for meat was bad and vegetarianism was close to nature. They are also known to have adopted some of the traditions from the Brahmins of Ancient India.
There are a lot of stories which show the spread of these customs to the present day. There are several legends which mention the activities of the Brahmins who used to control the economy of villages in India but there are no evidences to prove the same. Instead we find references to all other castes and sub castes ruling the land than Brahmins controlling the administration. The local agriculturists were highly respected because they were considered to be the ones who devised the system of agricultural reforms in India. There were no risks involved in this form of farming, and the seeds that were used for the farming of the cereals were originally obtained from the reliable sources.
One of the most popular traditions in India is the one related to marriage. Hindu marriage is considered to be sacred and is performed through a series of ceremonies. These ceremonies include a wedding shower that involves a group of women throwing turmeric smeared rice at each other. After this, the bride is taken to the place where she is to be married. After this, her sister and friends help her get dressed and ready for the marriage. After this, her brother or sister makes her take a bath, which is considered to be a ritualistic way of washing away the wicked intentions of the wedding day.
Some traditions in Hinduism continue on to this day with some Hindus, following them to their respective homes. One such practice includes the custom of decorating a house for the new family with the earnings from the sale of various Hindu articles. These earnings include gold statues of Hindu gods and goddesses as well as other items of the culture of the Hindus.
Parambhara pratyahara is another tradition in Hinduism that is important for the spiritual growth of the people of India. This is a twenty-eight day fast that was instituted by a king of Magadh (India), Parambara Raja Ashoka. During this time, no food or water is allowed to enter the body of the person who fasts. On the completion of the period, if the person is still fasting, he has to undergo a process of renaming where his true nath is restored and he is given a new name to take on his new life.