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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
🇮🇳 Udupi, IndiaYakshaganaಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ (Kannada) A night-long dance-drama from coastal Karnataka, with sung dialogue and drummingPerformance 🇮🇳 Palani, India and 5 moreKavadi Aattamகாவடி ஆட்டம் Tamil devotees of Murugan carry burdens as a vow during ThaipusamSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBindi A dot worn between the eyebrows, red for marriage and devotion, worn daily by many womenDress 🇮🇳 Trivandrum, IndiaKathakaliകഥകളി A classical dance-drama from Kerala featuring elaborate makeup and costumes to tell epic stories.Performance 🇮🇳 Puri, IndiaOdissiଓଡ଼ିଶୀ A classical dance of Odisha, told through bends, gestures and sung poetryPerformance 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKolamகோலம் A rice-flour floor drawing made at South Indian doorsteps before sunriseCraft 🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 1 moreKathak A north Indian classical dance of stories, footwork and spins, from temples and courtsPerformance 🇮🇳 Nadia, IndiaDhunachi A Bengali incense burner, swung in worship and danced with at Durga PujaSpiritual 🇮🇳 IndiaAhimsaअहिंसा A daily Indian discipline of doing no harm, in deed, word and thoughtSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRangoliरंगोली Floor patterns of rice flour, sand or petals, drawn at the doorstep for festivalsCraft 🇺🇸 Spokane, United States and 5 moreFather's Day A day to honour fathers and fatherhood, kept on many different dates worldwideFestival 🇰🇪 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 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreOld New YearСтарый Новый год (Russian), Стара Нова година (Macedonian), Српска Нова година (Serbian), Hen Galan (Welsh) An informal holiday marking the start of the Julian calendar year, celebrated on 14 January in the Gregorian calendar.Festival · Dinner 🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage 🇮🇳 Madurai, India and 4 morePuthanduபுத்தாண்டு (Puttāṇṭu) The first day of the Tamil solar calendar, celebrated by Tamils with family feasts and auspicious trays.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaHead shaving in Hinduism Ritual tonsure for spiritual renewal, life transitions, and devotion in HinduismSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony 🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSongkranสงกรานต์ The Thai solar New Year marked by temple rites, elder blessings and water throwingSeasonal 🇮🇳 IndiaGuru-shishya traditionपरम्परा The lineage system passing spiritual and artistic knowledge from master to discipleSpiritual 🇮🇳 IndiaPumsavanaपुंसवन (Puṁsavana) A Hindu rite of passage held in the third or fourth month of pregnancy to celebrate fetal development.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaNirjala Ekadashiनिर्जला एकादशी A rigorous, waterless Hindu fast observed in early summer to honour the god Vishnu.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreJur Sitalजुड़ शीतल The first day of the Maithil year, kept with a rice meal, gifts and water blessingsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaPooram An annual Kerala temple festival with percussion orchestras, elephants and fireworksFestival 🇮🇳 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 moreRemoval of footwear indoors The widespread custom of leaving outdoor shoes at the door for cleanliness and respectEtiquette 🇬🇷 Thebes, GreeceDaphnephoria A nine-year festival in ancient Thebes featuring a laurel-bearer procession for Apollo.Festival 🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual 🇩🇪 Wittenberg, Germany and 1 moreVersus populum A liturgical stance where the priest celebrates Mass facing the congregation from the opposite side of the altar.Spiritual 🇮🇳 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 🇷🇴 Bucharest, Romania and 2 moreCaloian A Romanian rainmaking and fertility ritual centered on the creation, funeral, and rebirth of a clay effigy.Festival 🇮🇳 IndiaPushpanjaliपुष्पाञ्जलि A Hindu ritual of offering flowers with cupped hands, used in worship and as an opening dance.Spiritual 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi traditions, using turmeric paste to prepare the couple for marriage.Rite of passage 🇳🇵 NepalJatjatin Dance A Mithila folk dance performed by couples to seek rain and express the sorrow of parting.Performance 🇮🇳 IndiaJiuntia An autumn festival of western Odisha, kept in two forms by mothers and by sistersSpiritual 🇮🇳 Diu, IndiaDashama Vrataદશામા વ્રત A ten-day Hindu vow kept at home with a clay shrine, mostly by women in Gujarat and DiuSpiritual 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMahalakshmia jo Sagroمَھالڪشميءَ جو سڳڙو / महालक्ष्मीअ जो सॻड़ो A sixteen-day Hindu fast and prayer dedicated to the goddess of wealthSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇳 Mathura, IndiaKrishna legends in Kathak The enactment of Krishna's sacred stories in Indian classical dancePerformance 🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram, IndiaPongala A harvest offering of sweet rice porridge prepared by millions of women in South IndiaFestival · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage 🇮🇳 IndiaDivja A Goan ritual where women carry oil lamps in a temple procession to fulfill vows.Spiritual 🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaBada Mangal A Tuesday festival in Lucknow dedicated to Hanuman, known for communal feasts and interfaith participation.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 Khatushyam, IndiaPhalguna Mela A temple fair before Holi, kept with flags, bhajans and shared foodSpiritual 🇮🇳 Chabbi (Chebbi), IndiaChabbi Ganapathi A three-day Ganesha festival kept by seven households in a Karnataka village since 1827Festival
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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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