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EveryParampara

Hindu traditions

Hindu traditions fill the calendar of South Asia and the many places where Hindus have settled, from Bali and Mauritius to Fiji, Trinidad and Britain.

Hindu traditions fill the calendar of South Asia and the many places where Hindus have settled, from Bali and Mauritius to Fiji, Trinidad and Britain. They include daily puja, the festivals of Diwali, Holi, Navratri and Pongal, pilgrimages to the Ganges and Tirupati, the sixteen samskaras that mark life from birth to death and a great many regional and village customs. Hinduism has no single founder or text, and practice varies by family, region and community. These pages describe the traditions as those who keep them do.

Home and temple

Worship begins at home, with a shrine, a lamp and a morning prayer, and continues at the temple, where a priest offers the deity water, flowers, food and light on behalf of devotees. Visitors take darshan, receive prasad and walk around the shrine. Festivals bring the whole street into the temple or the pandal, with processions, music and communal meals, and the cycle of the year is marked by fasts and feasts.

Rites of life

The samskaras include the naming, the first rice, the sacred thread, marriage and the funeral. The wedding, with its seven steps round the fire, is the best known, while funerals involve cremation and offerings to the ancestors. Every region adds its own customs, such as the kolam in Tamil Nadu, the rakhi in the north and the Durga Puja of Bengal. The diversity is part of the tradition.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Hindu (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao) A Lao rite that calls the soul home and ties a thread on the wrist for good luckSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft 🇮🇳 IndiaSaptapadiसप्तपदी (Sanskrit), सात फेरे (Marathi) The seven-step ritual that finalizes a Hindu marriage, observed across India.Rite of passage 🇳🇬 Ibadan, Nigeria and 1 moreYoruba naming ceremonyÌkòlọ́pọ̀ Orúkọ Yorùbá A rite of passage where a newborn receives a destiny name through divination and family celebration.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals 🇨🇳 China and 5 morePostpartum confinement A period of rest, nourishment, and seclusion for mothers after giving birth.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 5 morePretaप्रेत Offerings and rites for spirits enduring deep hunger across Asian traditions.Spiritual 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreRite of passage A ceremony that marks leaving one group and entering another, with a new statusRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreUpanayanaउपनयन (Sanskrit) A Hindu rite of passage that begins a child's study and marks a second birthRite of passage 🇮🇳 Gaya, India and 1 moreShraddhaश्राद्ध Rituals of faith for the ancestors, kept yearly and through Pitru PakshaSpiritual 🇮🇳 Haridwar, India and 3 moreAntyestiअन्त्येष्टि The traditional Hindu funeral ceremony and final rite of passageRite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahaतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A ritual wedding of the tulasi plant to Vishnu, kept in homes and temples across IndiaSpiritual 🇮🇳 IndiaNamakaranaनामकरणम् A Hindu rite that gives a baby its name, kept in the days after a birthRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreHindu weddingVivaha (विवाह) A traditional Hindu marriage ceremony involving sacred rituals and vows witnessed by fire.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ A Bengali pre-wedding ceremony where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groomRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFuneral The ceremony a community holds when someone dies, from burial to cremationRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalasutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram) A necklace tied by the groom at a wedding, worn through married lifeDress 🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreHenna ceremonyليلة الحناء A night of henna patterns on a bride's hands and feet, kept before the weddingRite of passage 🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNgaben A Balinese Hindu cremation rite held to free the soul of the deadRite of passage 🇵🇭 PhilippinesFilipino wedding customsKasalan A blend of indigenous rituals and Christian traditions marking the union of two families in the Philippines.Rite of passage 🇨🇳 China and 6 moreRed envelope紅包 / 红包 (hóngbāo) Money in a red packet, given at Lunar New Year, weddings and other big daysEtiquette 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreAncestor veneration Honouring dead relatives with offerings, meals and prayers, kept in cultures worldwideSpiritual 🇹🇭 ThailandWai khruพิธีไหว้ครู A Thai ceremony of thanks to teachers, held in schools and in the artsSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSindoorसिंदूर A red powder worn in the hair parting by many married Hindu womenDress 🇮🇳 India and 2 morePujaपूजा (pūjā) Hindu worship: light, flowers and food offered to a deity or a guestSpiritual 🇰🇪 Kenya and 5 moreBurial Placing the dead in the ground or a structure to honor them and guide their journey.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYajnaयज्ञ A Hindu ritual of offering items into a sacred fire to honor deities and ancestors.Spiritual 🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreLibation The ceremonial gift of drink given to deities, ancestors, and the earthSpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage 🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaHead shaving in Hinduism Ritual tonsure for spiritual renewal, life transitions, and devotion in HinduismSpiritual 🇮🇳 IndiaPumsavanaपुंसवन (Puṁsavana) A Hindu rite of passage held in the third or fourth month of pregnancy to celebrate fetal development.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaVidyarambhamविद्यारम्भ A Hindu rite of passage introducing young children to reading, writing and the artsRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreBengali Hindu weddingবাঙালি হিন্দু বিবাহ A Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony spanning days of turmeric rites, sacred vows, and welcoming rituals.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFirst haircut A rite of passage marking a child's first shave or trim across many cultures and faiths.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaRitu Kala SamskaramRitushuddhi A South Indian Hindu coming-of-age ceremony for girls after their first period.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi traditions, using turmeric paste to prepare the couple for marriage.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage 🇮🇳 Jammu, India and 1 moreChura A set of bridal bangles worn across South Asia at weddings and in early marriageDress 🇮🇳 IndiaDivja A Goan ritual where women carry oil lamps in a temple procession to fulfill vows.Spiritual 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 1 moreMarriage vows The promises a couple speak to each other as they marryRite of passage 🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India Marriage rites and festive gatherings celebrated across the diverse communities of India.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaVadhu Praveshaवधूप्रवेश A Hindu ceremony welcoming a bride into her new husband's homeRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 1 morePunjabi wedding traditions The multi-day marriage customs and rituals of Hindu and Sikh Punjabi familiesRite of passage · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇳 IndiaSahasra Purna Chandrodayamसहस्र-(पूर्ण)चन्द्र-दर्शन A Hindu rite marking a person's thousandth full moon, celebrated around age eighty-one.Rite of passage 🇮🇩 IndonesiaNgerorod A Balinese Hindu way of marrying, where a couple wed by their own choiceRite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaPrathamastami An Odia ritual blessing the firstborn child for long life and good fortuneRite of passage
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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