The Science Behind Popular Indian Traditions

Hello! Everyone. This is Arun Balaji. Better late than never!

India is a ground of spirituality, a land with a 7000-year old history, a land held tight to its ancient traditions, embedded with fruits of its deep-rooted culture passed on through generations, sentiments intact. Despite having witnessed or belong to this society with innumerable traditions, we lack the understanding of the logical reason behind several rituals and customs and brand them superstitious and meaningless. We have shelved away many of these anecdotes passed on by our forefathers with years of increasing westernization, a lot of it because of sheer ignorance.

Have we ever wondered why certain things are devised the way they are?

Why do we have specifications to every ritual followed?

Why Do We Visit Temples?

Idol worship is a form  of prayer, but what is the reason behind installing these idols in magnificently constructed temples? What is the purpose of temples at all? Temples are constructed in zones where positive vibrations from the earth's magnetic and electric fields can be tapped in abundance. The peak of this energy is felt at the "garbhagriha" or the sanctum sanctorum, where the deity is installed. People are asked to walk bare-footed in temples so that the radiation is easily absorbed. Men are advised to visit temples bare-chested, as the human hair has the capacity to absorb positive energy. Women are asked to wear gold ornaments when they visit temples, as gold is one of the best absorbers and radiators of positive energy. This is why many temple vimanas are made of gold too. We walk around the sanctum sanctorum to enable a state of equilibrium for the brain by its movement around a source of positivity. These are some of the reasons behind the sense of serenity that fills a person from within whenever they visit a temple, regardless of their belief in God.

Why Must The Temple Be The Tallest Construction In The Entire Town?

An unsaid rule from the ancient times is that the temple should be the tallest construction in that particular town or a city. We see this rule in prevalence in the Agraharam style of civilization in rural areas. The reason commonly stated is that "God is the supreme and hence the temple must be the tallest". The actual reason behind this practice is the absorbing power of the temple gopuram. The gopuram is usually filled with paddy on the inside, which is an excellent absorbent of shock waves. Wherever lightning hits the village, the rays are diverted to the gopuram and the excess harmful rays are transmitted to the earth. Beneficial cosmic rays from the atmosphere are retained by the paddy and radiated inside the temple.

What Is The Purpose Of Conducting The Abhisheka?

There have been debates regarding conducting abhishekas for stone idols in temples. These age-old granite idols have the tendency to develop cracks on ageing. Regular contact with agents such as milk, honey and oil help in keeping the idol intact, thus preserving these ancient sculptures. Another interesting observation is that the base on which these idols are mounted is made of a specific alloy of gold(Au), silver(Ag) and traces of lead(Pb), which have medicinal properties when combined with milk and honey. This is why milk and Panchamrutha from the abhisheka that is distributed are said to have special properties that cure many diseases. Earlier, when the literacy rate in the country was much less than it is now, instilling a fear of God was the only way to put forth scientific ideas and practices involving logical reasoning.

We have unfortunately forgotten the essence of such genius measures and brushed them away as superstitious.

The Ganesha Under Peepal (Ficus religiosa or Sacred Fig) Tree?

The Ganesha sitting beneath the peepal tree is a widely popular deity of worship among women. There is a common belief that women who are unable to conceive will be able to do so if they visit this Vinayaka every day in the early hours of the morning with wet clothes after a shower and walk-in circles around the tree. The secret behind the miraculous success of this practice is the Peepal tree. This tree is believed to give a high amount of oxygen and very minimal amounts of carbon dioxide through the day. Oxygen is said to be the best cure for hormonal imbalances in the body and naturally brings undernourished organs back to normalcy. Gradually, the hormones in the uterus start functioning routinely and women are able to conceive. Wet clothes help in better absorption of oxygen, thus ensuring the maximum benefit of the ritual. The motive behind placing the Ganesha is to convince people to follow it in the name of God, giving them a reason to diligently pursue it.

Why Do We Feed Crows Before a Meal?

In Indian tradition crows are given special importance as they are considered ancestors. After the meal for the day is prepared,  a portion of every dish is kept outside for crows to feast on, so that the members of the family have the satisfaction of having fed their ancestors. Are they really our ancestors, or have our forefathers just been spinning yarns? There is an interesting reason behind this age-old tradition. Earlier on, when there was no electricity and hence no proper light in the early hours of the morning people were doubtful of the food they cooked. The crow as we all know is a creature that can eat almost anything and that which never refuses food. Interestingly, it can sense the presence of any kind of poison in food. It simply refuses food if it senses poison in it. People from ancient times happened to use the crow as a tester for food smartly, without harming it.

The Wholesome Indian Cuisine?

When it comes to the food system, Indian cuisine is one of the most balanced regimens, including optimum quantities of all nutrients, conceived into delicious dishes that are easily digestible. Our ancestors even had appropriate meal timings devised to ensure proper and timely metabolism and digestion for adequate energy to carry out our tasks through the day. As our ancient custom says, the best kind of diet for any human being or animal living in a region is the diet consisting of foods grown in the same area. We have essentially evolved through the years to belong to a tropical climate and be accustomed to the foods and lifestyle offered by this region. With the arrival of foreign cultures and lifestyles, the concept of 'eating out' was brought about with the expansion and trade of foreign cuisines, which sadly are not the best-suited diets for the Indian stomach. Most importantly, eating outside food greatly disturbs the timings of meals. We may believe that the only consequences of ill-timed meals are acidity and gastroenteritis, but actually, the human body functions by a system of energy flow between organs.

Ancient scriptures of naturopathy and manuscripts of Ayurveda hold references to "The Organ Clock".

Earlier each organ of the human body was functional at its peak every 12 hours round the clock and were ejecting waste materials, but now, it's the other way round and it disturbs the blood chemistry and forces it to become acidic rather than remaining alkaline. This paves way for the body to lose its auto-immune system. Thus, cells cease to renew themselves and have accumulated more dead cells in our body, this lead to abnormal functioning of the body.

There should be a 3-hour gap between the supper and the time we hit the bed, so it's ideal to eat by 7 if we hit the bed by 10. Only then the liver functions with its full potential and keeps the body clean.

If food becomes the medicine, the body becomes the doctor.

You can now see that almost every ancient Indian tradition has a scientific explanation behind it. Some of them are deeply spiritual and very much beyond the understanding of the common man because of which they were linked to the concept of blind belief. After years of experience and observation, our forefathers have drafted these traditions to be imbibed into societal living and lifestyles to ensure a healthy and peaceful living. So, let's start looking deeper. Let's start truly appreciating the riches we have been provided with. Let's look at our customs with positive curiosity.

After all isn't it our duty as the future generation to carry them forward!

Thank You...

Cheers.....