Have you ever watched Indian cinema? Naive, noisy, colorful, often terribly implausible and sometimes absurd. The plots of Indian films are built on simple everyday stories of love, betrayal, hatred and revenge. Separated in infancy and then reunited, twins, brothers, sisters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and wives and husbands. By the will of the villainess-fate, the main characters suffer unspeakably, fall into various dangerous alterations or are carried by different castes, which is quite serious for India if they decide to get married in the story. Indian films are long, very long - 2.5-3 hours - and are basically tear-squeezing melodramas with a sea of emotions, which is greatly helped by the frequent alternation of fantastically improbable scuffles with mass dances of Indian folk song and dance ensembles.
Yes, the fights in Indian cinema are really fabulously implausible, with a soundtrack characteristic only for this movie and a sea of crimson paint as blood. And dances, a lot of collective dances in bright, colorful national costumes to unpretentious energetic songs a la akyn - I sing what I see. In general, most Indian films can be safely attributed to the category of musicals, which often make the entire auditorium dance. Indian films are surprisingly chaste. No explicit love scenes, naked bodies, even partially. The only thing that Indian directors have thought of, keeping up with modern times, is to shoot actresses in a wet sari. It seems the woman is dressed, but everything seems to be visible.
All Indian films have a happy ending, and this is the secret of their continued and enormous popularity among the common people, whose daily life is very difficult. The protagonist must defeat evil, justice triumphs, all villains are punished. The people need a story, be it about elephants and maharajas, gurus and avatars, Indian commandos or zit and git; and the Indian cinematographic machine produces them commercially. Only Bollywood (film studios in Bombay (now Mumbai), in northern India, releases up to 900 films a year (for comparison: in Hollywood they are released on average about 500). The treasury is replenished with 10% of the rental of films for an audience of three billion. Every day, movies in India are watched about 15 million people.Ordinary Indians bring their copper coins to cinemas in order to sleep out of hard reality for 2-3 hours and live in the kingdom of dreams, where everything always ends with a happy ending, not at all like in ordinary life, in which they live in the wildest poverty, horrendous unsanitary conditions, ignorance, disease and the complete arbitrariness of authorities of all kinds.The power of Indian cinema is so great that the premiere of the film "Slumdog Millionaire" significantly reduced the intensity of riots in 2008.
However, Indian films attracted our interest not because of this, but because the appearance of the actors, in the extreme case, the leading actors, which turned out to be, let's say, not quite Indian by generally accepted standards. It would seem that on the screens one should expect black-haired, black-eyed and dark-skinned, in extreme cases, very swarthy actors. In fact, everything turned out not quite so. Of course, the above "gypsy" type is common, but more and more in the crowd. The main characters are played, for the most part, by people of a completely different type. Light, almost white skin, eyes - green, gray, blue or light brown, Caucasoid features. Hair - yes, dark, but not raven. To see this, just look at the photos of Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai. (Aishwarya Rai), Madhuri Dixit (Madhuri Dixit), Nehi Sharma (Nneha Sharma), Kareena Kapoor (Kareena Kapoor), Selina Jaitly (Celina Jaitly).
In addition to the Bollywood film studios in the north of India, there are many more film studios in the south of the country. There are even more of them, and they are combined into several companies based on language. All languages spoken in South India belong to the family Dravidian languages, of which there are 85 . There is Tollywood (Telugu), Kollywood (Tamil) and Mollywood (Malayalam). Surprisingly, many southern leading actresses also have a Caucasian appearance. Photographed by Vidisha Srivastava (Vidisha Srivastava), Sneha Ullal (Sneha Ullal), Iliana de Cruz (Ileana D'Cruz), Sneha (Sneha), Asmita Sood (Asmitha Sood).
Among the popular actors, there are also many white-skinned and light-eyed men. Among them is the patriarch of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor. (Raj Kapoor), Hrithik Roshan (Hrithik Roshan), Nakul Mehta (Nakul Mehta), Shah Rukh Khan (Shahrukh Khan), Sidhanat Kapoor (Siddhanth Kapoor).
This does not mean that there are no very dark-skinned and black-eyed actors in the Indian film industry. There is, and in abundance, take at least Mithun Charaborty (Mithun Chakraborti) or Amitabh Bachchan (Amitabh Bachchan) whose son the beautiful Aishwarya Rai married. However, light skin and eyes are more preferable. Now Indians in general and actors are in great demand whitening creams. They want to get by all means strong fairness your skin.
There is another interesting fact. All actors, more or less famous, belong to the two highest varnas (castes) of India - brahmins and kshatriyas. For example, the Kapoor clan are Kshatriyas, as are the Singh clan, as well as the Khans. Descendants of Rabindranath Tagore, who chose the film industry - from the Brahmins, popular actresses Hema Malini (Hema Malini) and Madhuri Dixit (Madhuri Dixit)- too, but actor Nakul Mehta (Nakul Mehta) from the royal family of Rajasthan (this is the northwest of India). Interesting, isn't it? The aristocrats of India took up, it would seem, not their business - the entertainment of the plebs. But the whole point is that the cinematography of India has its roots in the folk theater, and Brahma commanded the Brahmins so that theatrical performances are performed in order to instruct the common people on the true path.
Let's see why there are so many white-skinned and light-eyed people in the highest Indian varnas (castes)? What do we know about the population of India? What is her, so to speak, anthropological portrait? Scientists suggest that more than 200 peoples currently live in India. The largest of them are about 20, several tens of millions of people each, which make up 80% of the total population of India (over 1.21 billion people), which can be roughly divided into two large groups. The so-called Indo-Europeans, who occupy the northern, western and partly eastern regions of the country. These are Punjabis, Rajasthani, Marathas, Bengalis and others, and Dravidian peoples who inhabit southern India - Tamils, Telugu, Kannara, Malayali and others. Anthropologically they are very different. The former are mainly Caucasoid in appearance, the latter are Negro-Australoid.
Relatively recently, an extensive genetic study was carried out in India, which was published in the American journal Nature in September 2009 . The genetic material was collected in such a way that the 13 states of India, all six language groups, as well as various castes and tribal groups were represented. This study showed that all Hindus are descended from two ancient groups of ancestors, which are significantly different from each other. The authors called them North Indian ancestors (Ancestral North Indians) and south Indian ancestors (Ancestral South Indians). In order to understand why there was such a clear genetic division into north and south, you need to delve into the ancient history of earthly civilization and remember how four different races ended up on planet Earth. Academician Nikolai Levashov writes about this in great detail in the first volume of his fundamental work on the history of our planet "Russia in Crooked Mirrors".
Approximately 40 thousand years ago, after the great Galactic War, the civilization of the White race, which lived on Earth for more than half a million years, accepted refugees of the black, red and yellow races from many planets and constellations of the galaxy and settled them on Earth in climatic zones, the conditions of which were most consistent with those that were on their home planets. Refugees of the yellow race were settled on the territory of modern China, which is south of the "Chinese" wall. The red race was allocated islands in the Atlantic Ocean and a small part of the North American continent.
The black race was the most numerous, and therefore the area of its residence on Earth turned out to be the largest, compared with the yellow and red races. Moreover, it was very heterogeneous, both in terms of its composition and level of development, since it consisted of representatives of very different civilizations. It was placed on the African continent, the Hindustan Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. By the way, much later, the black race also mastered Europe south of the Alps. But we are now interested in India, or Dravidia, as our ancestors called it, by the name of the most numerous people who inhabited it. In addition, Dravidia included not only the territory of modern India, but also Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The figure shows the location on the modern world map of the biblical country of the Land of Havila. As it was possible to establish from existing sources, this biblical country was located in the northeast of modern India, in the lower reaches of the biblical river Pison, the modern name of which is the river Ganges. The Ganges River among the descendants of the Dravidians and Nagas is still a sacred river today. Even the water from this river is considered sacred by modern Hindus (Illustration from N. Levashov's book "Russia in Crooked Mirrors".)
To eradicate this anti-human practice, the White Magicians organized two trips to Dravidia from Belovodye. The first Aryan campaign took place about 5 thousand years ago, in 2692 BC. Black magicians and priestesses of Kali Ma were expelled, some knowledge was transferred to the Dravidians and Nagas, and as a result of a genetic experiment, a gray subrace appeared in India as a result of genetic correction - the crossing of the genetics of the white and black races. Thus, the White Magi tried to "get rid" of the habit of worshiping the Black Forces, which was entrenched in the genetics of the black race over thousands of years of cultivation. After staying in Dravidia for 77 years, the White Magi left her, returning home. And that was a mistake. The black magicians returned and did not allow the genetic experiment that the White Magi began to complete in a natural way. The peoples of Dravidia again returned to the worship of the Black Mother and human sacrifice. Therefore, the White Magi had to intervene again. In 2006 BC , almost 700 years after the first campaign, took place second Aryan campaign. The Black Mages and the priestesses of the Black Mother were again defeated and driven out. Part of the Slavs who came remained in Dravidia forever. They became the founders of Indian civilization.
It was after the second Aryan campaign that the Indians got Sanskrit, the so-called Indian Vedas, which are actually modified Sacred Texts of the Wisdom of the Lights, which the Aryans from Belovodie brought to them, at the same time they learned about the laws of karma, reincarnation and others.
Dravidy and Nagas have known this Wisdom, When our Ancestors gave them the Vedas. They renounced obscene deeds, Having learned about the eternal Heavenly Laws...So they say about this event "Slavic-Aryan Vedas" in the Fourth Book "The Source of Life", the Third Message.
At the same time, Hinduism appeared in Dravidia, which has as its source the Vedic worldview of the Slavic-Aryans, however, very, very changed by the Hindus over 4 thousand years, due to their specific understanding of the subject. Although they do not widely say where they got all this knowledge from, something can still be unearthed in their myths and legends. In particular, there is a mention that it was the White Teachers, whom the Hindus called Rishi, who came from the north and brought them the Vedas.
In the book of the Indologist Guseva N.R. (1914-2010) “Legends and myths of ancient India. Mahabharata. Ramayana" there is a legend called "Son of six mothers". Here's how it starts:
« In the land of distant northern mountains and the milky ocean lived seven prophets-rishis, the creators of the holy hymns of the Vedas, in which the greatest knowledge and ancient wisdom were preserved. They were highly revered by gods and people. So high that the life of these rishis should not have ended on earth, and when the limit of their path came, they, along with their pure spouses, were ascended to the vault of heaven. Since then, a bright constellation has been shining in the sky, to which people have given two names - “Seven Rishis” and "Great Bear". This marvelous constellation shines brighter than all other stars and planets in the darkness of the northern skies and shows mortals their paths on earth and water ... "
That is, the Hindus recognize that Wisdom and Knowledge they received from northern Masters. The famous Indian scientist B.G. Tilak (1856-1920) argued, analyzing the most ancient monuments of literature, the Vedas and Avesta, that the ancestral home of the Aryans existed in the Arctic region. By the way, he came from the Brahmin caste. And it should be noted that the Aryans brought the caste system of society to ancient India. It consisted of 4 large groups. Brahmins, kshatriyas, vashyas and sudras. The first two constitute the upper castes of Indian society, and in them traits of the white race- light, almost white skin, Caucasoid features, tall. Genetic studies show that at present, from 70 to 72% of representatives of the Brahmins and Kshatriyas have the haplogroup R1a, which was called "Aryan". And this is not surprising, since they were originally compiled by people of the white race who came from the north. The ancient Indian epic Mahabharata even preserved a few lines about their distant ancestral home:
“That country rises above evil, and therefore it is called Ascended! It is believed that it is in the middle between east and west... This is the road of the ascended Golden Dipper... A cruel, insensitive and lawless person does not live in this vast northern region... There is an ant and a wonderful tree of the gods... Here the Pole Star was strengthened by the Great The ancestor... The Northern Territory is reputed to be "ascended", for it rises in all respects ... "(S.V. Zharnikova "Golden Thread").
At present, there are approximately 100 million Brahmins in India. It is believed that in translation from the Harian, brahman means "a person who owns the Shining Power of the Gods" ...
Brahmins were originally supposed to be engaged in the study and teaching of the Vedas, performing various rituals for the “twice-born” (the term used in Hinduism for members of the three highest castes (varnas) (brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas), who passed the rite of initiation into the study at the age of 8-12 years. Vedas), that is, to perform priestly functions, and accept gifts from them. They should be engaged exclusively in mental labor and in no case physical. They were allowed to hold various government posts. In the past, the Brahmins were rajas, commanders, even later - landowners, and then even shopkeepers and usurers.
At present, the caste (varna) of the Brahmins has hundreds within itself, so to speak, a podcast or jati, which means "origin, belonging by birth." There are more than 800 of them, and they differ from each other in language, philosophical direction (in Hinduism there are 4 main directions - Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Smartism and Shaktism, which are divided into numerous theological traditions), place of residence or type of activity.
By tradition, each Brahmin jati (podcast) is engaged in a certain type of activity and only it. For example, some brahmins are called for various rituals, of which there are hundreds in India - marriages, pregnancy, childbirth, funeral ceremonies, etc. They also turn to brahmins if they have a bad dream or need to remove the evil eye, if a snake has bitten, if by mistake or, out of necessity, food considered unclean was taken when business is not going well, on days of solar and lunar eclipses, etc. At the same time, the brahmins specialize in only one ritual.
The most respected and most status professional specialization of a Brahmin is knowledge of brahminical sciences-shastras. These brahmins do not perform rituals for people and do it only for themselves and their families. Pandits and gurus who only teach brahmins constitute the highest class of teachers. Brahminical shastras are grammar, rhetoric, poetry, logic, philosophy, as well as the obligatory knowledge of the texts of the classical ancient Indian shastras (Skt. “call, hymn”). For example, dharmashastra (sankr. "instruction in dharma") are ancient Indian texts that set out religious rules of conduct, as well as ancient laws. That is, a high-ranking brahmana must know the Vedas by heart, especially those that are necessary for the Brahmin to perform the ritual in which he is engaged. In addition, a brahmin can memorize one of the four Vedas in its entirety - the Rigveda - "Veda of hymns", Yajurveda - "Veda of sacrificial formulas", Samaveda - "Veda of chants", Atharvaveda - "Veda of spells". Memorizing the Veda takes about eight years. It is noteworthy that the names of Brahmins such as Dube, Tivari, Chaube are derived from the Sanskrit names Dvi Vedi, Tri Vedi, Chatur Vedi, which mean that the ancestor of the Brahmin family once knew by heart two, three, four Vedas.
By the surnames of India, it is easy to determine whether a person belongs to a varna (caste). For example, the surnames Bhattacharya, Dikshit, Gupta testify to belonging to the caste of higher brahmins. People with the surname Singh belong to either the Rajput military caste or the Sikh religion. The surname Gandhi means that a person from the trading caste of Gujarat, the surname Reddy is common among the agricultural caste from Andhra.
Next to the brahmins who teach the shastras are the temple priests, then the priests, who conduct rituals for and only for individual families, and their status is determined by the status of the family they serve. Brahmins can also make a living by publicly reciting and commenting on mythological and epic Vedic texts. Those brahmins who have succeeded in this and earned a proper reputation are invited to noble families for festivals to show their art.
The rules for purity are different for each Brahmin jati (podcast). In Bengal, for example, there are brahmins who eat fish (usually brahmins are vegetarians). There are brahmins who do not perform rituals, do not collect or distribute donations, but are landowners and are quite prosperous, and some brahmins live only on alms and are poor, "like a church mouse." Currently, most of the Brahmin jati (podcast) are non-priestly, that is, worldly, not involved in the administration of any rituals and, to tell the truth, I have a very distant relation to real brahmins. However, any, even the most dubious village "Brahmin" has the status of a personal and legal immunity, although the Indian government legally equated the Brahmins with the rest of the varnas (castes), both in the criminal and in the administrative field. Moreover, recently the Brahmins have been subjected to so-called positive discrimination, when the government of India decided to give more preferences to people from the untouchable caste, who initially could not even qualify to use the services of the Brahmins when receiving a secular education, entering the state. service, participation in elected bodies of power, etc.
In general, the varna of the Brahmins in India is numerous, diverse, and, like the numerous representatives of many other religions who “nourish” the common people, does not work productively, but only uses the initial knowledge of white people given to them. However, they prefer not to talk about this fact, but to fool their “spirituality” and antiquity to the descendants of these people. And this despite the fact that the highest layer of the Brahmins descends from the Aryans, and to this day retains their racial features, albeit fairly diluted by the Dravidians.
Hindus and a few European researchers are well aware that, for example, representatives of the Brahmin jati (podcast) chitpawan (Chitpavan), who come from the Konkan coast, are famous for the fact that they “look the most light-skinned, and some of them have gray eyes ...” (Uspenskaya E.N. “Anthropology of the Indian caste”). This was written by a British anthropologist who worked in the colonial administration, D.G. Hatton (John Henry Hutton(1885-1968)) in his book on the caste system in India (Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins. Cambridge, 1946.). Or, for example, the Brahmins jati Deshasta (Deshastha Brahmins), which originate from the west of India, are even attributed to Scytho-Dravidian type. This, in particular, was stated in 1901 by Sir Herbert H. Reisley (Herbert Hope Risley (1851-1911)), a British ethnologist and also served in the colonial administration.
A well-known representative of this type is Raja Tanhor Madhadva Rao (T. Madhava Rao (1828-1891)), a descendant of the Deshasta Brahmins, a prominent administrative and political figure. He has worked as chief of staff in Travancore, a princely state in southwestern India, the cities of Indore in the central state of Madhya Pradesh and Baroda in the western state of Gujarat. By the way, the addition of Rao to the Brahmin name indicates that its bearer belongs to a princely family and comes from Raj (Raja). Also variants of princely origin are Indian surnames Rai, Raja, Rayudu, Rayar, Rayulu, Raut, Raya, Rana. It is impossible not to notice that they all carry the root " Ra".
By the way, the head of the administration and a descendant of the Brahmins wears an earring in the left ear. We know who in the Slavic-Aryan hierarchy also wore earrings - ancient Russian knights and then the Cossacks-warriors. They say that an earring in the left ear of a Cossack meant that he was the only son of his mother, an earring in the right - the last man in the family or the only son of his parents. In both ears - the last in the family, the breadwinner and successor of the family. According to the Cossack tradition, the ataman or captain was obliged to protect such a special person. During the war, for example, they did not have the right to expose him to mortal risk, they did not send him to certain death in the inferno. The Kiev prince Svyatoslav also wore an earring, as the Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon, who saw him, wrote: “He had a golden earring in one ear; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls". It is not known whether the earring in the Brahmin ear means the same or not, but the fact is there. Besides, Indian Brahmins they use another external sign that we are accustomed to refer only to the Cossacks. This is a hairstyle that we call a sedentary, and they have a shikha.
In pictures and postcards, Brahmins are depicted with her. And even the god Krishna is depicted with such a hairstyle, and she is also on the canonical image of the famous hero of the Cossack knight Mamai. As for the Indian Brahmins, there are two ceremonies during which a person's head is shaved, while leaving a tuft of hair on the back of the head or crown, which is called shikha - chudakarana and upanayana.
The first is associated with the first haircut of the child, which is performed at the age of 3, and the second - the ritual haircut occurs when the boy is ordained as a disciple of a brahmin (brahmacharya). It is also necessary to have a sedentary shikha for any kind of sacrifice. Its shape and size may vary, depending on belonging to a particular tradition. If the shikha is very long, then it is tied in a knot so that it does not interfere. In the previously considered portrait of Raja Madhav Rao, she peeks out, tied in white, from under a white headdress ...
But not only jewelry and hairstyles remained with the Indian brahmins in memory of the distant northern people who brought them the Wisdom of Radiance. It is known that the highest Brahmin jati (podcasts) to this day observe the custom of writing marriage contracts on birch bark. Moreover, back in the 18th century, a marriage not recorded on birch bark was considered invalid. During the marriage ceremony, the young are fumigated, or simply blessed with a birch twig. And there would be nothing surprising in this, only the birch is not a common tree in India, but grows only high in the mountains. And in order to pick these branches and gather birch bark, the brahmins must climb to a height of 3-3.5 thousand meters, where the Himalayan birch or the Jacquemont birch grows. Not only Brahmin marriage contracts were written on birch bark, but also the texts of the Rig Veda and other sacred Hindu, and later Buddhist texts, sacred mantras that are worn for blessing and protection in amulets, etc.
Birch in India, especially in North India and the Himalayas, is considered a sacred tree. In the temples located in these places, it is used to perform various rituals. The famous Indologist N.R. Guseva in her book “Slavs and Aryas. The path of the gods and words" notes that "the oldest word in Sanskrit, meaning tree, literally translates as birch".
It is well known that among the Slavs the birch was also one of the revered trees, so even one of the Slavic months is called "birch". It was a protective tree - birch branches were used to block the path of evil spirits into the dwelling. Birch branches were stuck into the field to get a good harvest of flax and cereals. A birch log was buried under the threshold of a new stable, "so that the horses were led." The girls used birch in their rites for the Trinity. And the healing properties of birch have been known to the Slavs since time immemorial. Birch sap was used to purify the blood, and birch brooms were steamed in the bath. It was believed that the birch scent cured melancholy and helped against the evil eye, and birch bark was widely used for writing. And hundreds more birch bark manuscripts, which date back to the 1st millennium BC, were found in Central and Central Asia, where the arias left their mark.
Let us return to the Brahmin wedding ceremony, which in Hinduism is called vivaha and which has remained virtually unchanged for 5 thousand years. One of his 16 rituals (sanskar), each of which is accompanied by the recitation of the corresponding hymns of the Rig Veda, is the showing of the star Dhruva (Polar Star) and the Sapta rishi-mandala (constellation of the Seven Rishis or Ursa Major) to the bride by the groom. He addresses her with these words: “You are unchanging, I see you, O unchanging one. Be unchanging with me, prosperous. Brihaspati has given you to Me, your husband, live with me for a hundred autumns!” Then he must ask her if she sees her, and the bride must answer: “I see,” even if she does not see. The thing is that the North Star in India is far from always visible. It is too low above the horizon in India, only 1-1.5 degrees. However, the one who composed this ancient rite clearly saw another sky, in which the unchanging (fixed) North Star was clearly visible. And this is possible only in the Northern Hemisphere, not far from the Arctic Circle.
In addition, the Indian Vedic wedding ceremony includes elements of wedding ceremonies that were practiced in the Russian North quite recently, in the beginning and middle of the 20th century. This is described in great detail in the book by C.V. Zharnikova "The Golden Thread" (ch. 3. The thread of time. Rites and holidays).
For example, in the Indian Vedic ceremony, the bride is placed on the skin of a red bull with the hair up. It was believed that the skin contributes to the fertility of a woman, and in the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions during the wedding, the bride and groom were put on a bench on a fur coat with fur outside. In Russia, a girl was untwisted a girl's braid and braided two, as a transition from girlhood to marriage, and in India, a girl was untwisted pigtails for the same reason. As in Rus', young people were showered with hops and cereals, so in India. In the Russian North, the newlywed had to sweep away the straw scattered on the floor, and in India, the wedding ceremony also included sacrificial straw on the floor. As in the wedding ritual of Russia it was customary to make obscene jokes about its participants, so in India it was believed that such jokes cause laughter that promotes fertility. Both in India and in Russia, a boy was placed on the lap of the newlywed, so that the young would be the first to have a son.
“... in the Russian folklore tradition, the groom-husband is called, as a rule, a “clear fellow”, and the bride-wife is called a “red sun”. In the wedding hymn of the Rig Veda, the bride is also called the sun (Surya) and the groom the moon (Soma). It is well known that in a Russian wedding the groom is the "young prince" and the bride is the "young princess". In the ancient Indian wedding ritual, the groom has all the attributes of a kshatriya king (i.e., a warrior), and the bride is called “mistress” and “queen”. In Russian, and especially in the Northern Russian wedding tradition, there is a rite of pre-wedding bath for the bride and groom, developed and semantized to the limit. In the ancient Indian wedding ritual, it was supposed that "the bride and groom bathe before the marriage ceremonies" ... "
Both in Russian wedding tradition and in Indian flowers
How in In Russia and in India protective ornaments played a huge role in the wedding ceremony. In Russia, they decorated not only the wedding suits of the bride and groom, but also towels that were hung along the walls, as well as a linen tablecloth, on which the bride and groom stood for parental blessing. In India, protective ornaments (rangoli) were applied to the floors, walls of the house, the space in front of the entrance, as well as on the palm of the bride and sometimes on her face.
At the same time, both in India and in Rus',
Since we are talking about the swastika, it would be appropriate to note here that this solar symbol in its various images - about six, four, three rays - is widely used by Indians not only in festive or religious rituals, but wherever possible. Indians literally wear this sign of prosperity and good luck. They embroider it on blankets, on saris, on stoles and shawls in the north of India in Bengal, Rajasthan, in the east - in Orissa, in the center - the state of Maharashtra, where the largest city of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is located.
However, the connection of folk Indian embroidery with the cultural tradition of the Slavic-Aryans is not limited to swastikas. In archaic Indian ornaments, there are many elements that are traditionally considered elements Russian folk embroidery, especially for ornaments that were embroidered by craftswomen in the Russian North. This is also a symbol of fertility - a sown field - a rhombus with dots with crosses at the ends, which distribute benefits to four sides. This is the world tree, which unites all spheres of the universe, and the eight-pointed star, which the Slavs call the star Alatyr or the cross of Svarog.
On Indian embroideries you can find Slavic Mother Goddess Makosh with raised hands and women in labor - the patroness of childbirth and pregnant women, who, together with Makosh, determine the fate of people and gods. Here is how the Goddess is sung in the Rigveda with the horses accompanying her: “From one, two on the bird-horses of wanderers, two wander together.” There you can also see fabulous firebirds - peacocks, the prophetic bird Gamayun, which in India is called Garuda, double-headed eagle and even reindeer. And in Bengal they even embroidered ornaments surprisingly similar to the Kargopol menologion.
Moreover, in some cases, even the embroidery technique is the same, in connection with which very curious cases occur. S.V. told about one of them. Zharnikova in the article "Hyperboreans live behind her":
“Somehow, about 20 years ago, Natalya Romanovna Guseva told me a funny and instructive story. A well-known researcher of traditional Indian embroidery and weaving came to visit her from India. Sitting at a cup of tea, she accidentally glanced at a postcard lying nearby and exclaimed admiringly: “Natasha, what a wonderful postcard they sent you from Gujarat!”. Hearing in response that the postcard has nothing to do with Gujarat and was printed here in Moscow in 1981, the Indian woman was very surprised and indignant. “This cannot be,” she replied, “This is a typical Gujarat embroidery!”. And then she explained very specifically what and why is depicted here. I had to draw the guest's attention to the fact that the postcard had been printed for the day of March 8, as evidenced by the inscription on it, that it was published by the Fine Art publishing house and that there was even an author of the postcard - the artist E. Dergileva. The arguments did not make a strong impression. “So what,” was the response. “Your artist went to visit us in India and made such a postcard.”
As Natalya Romanovna said, the further actions were as follows: “And then I took out all those copiers from the cripples that you, Svetlana, brought to me. She put them on the table. For a long time she considered each drawing of embroidery and weaving, explaining their meaning, in what technique it is done, and for which state of India these compositions are typical. And then she sighed and said: “Natasha, this is just amazing! In two years in India, you found so much material that even I don’t have!” I had to disappoint her, saying that all these drawings had nothing to do with India, but were made in the funds of the museums of the Russian North, as evidenced by the inventory numbers printed on photocopies. “And then,” said Natalya Romanovna, “something happened that we did not expect at all. She began to cry and began to call us Russians, criminals because we do not publish all these materials". Such is the story.
I repeat, it was 1982. Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. But things, often, are still there. Well, how many of us, and Indians too, know that the most complex technique of Olonets embroidery, which includes both a counted cross and darning, and “painting”, and “cutwork”, performed with white threads on a white canvas and called by us "Chekan", has an analogy in North-West India, where exactly the same embroidery is called "chikan"! Just think! Aryas came to the territory of Hindustan from their northern ancestral home no later than the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. And embroideries from the Olonets province (now the Republic of Karelia) were never exported to India, and they were not brought from India to the Olonets province either. The same complicated embroidery technique, the same name. How old are they? Four thousand, five thousand?.. By the way, that postcard, because of which all the above-described “cheese-boron” happened, was an example of classical Olonets embroidery, which has survived almost to this day. So how old are they?"
It is worth mentioning here that the art of sewing clothes was also brought to the Hindustan Peninsula by the Aryans. The Dravidians, if worn, only unsewn clothes - pieces of cloth that were wrapped around various parts of the body or used in the form of capes and bandages. Most of the time they went half-naked. The obligation to wear clothes was enshrined in arias in various sacred and legislative texts. So, one of the Indian Vedas is the Atharvaveda, which, unlike other Vedas, does not tell about the gods and their deeds, but about the social and everyday life of people, such as the anointing of the king to the kingdom, and about a wedding or funeral, and about building a hut, and treating the sick. It mentions "beautiful, well-made outfits", a woman ripping a seam, a wedding shirt and a wedding dress. "Only that Brahmin who knows (the hymn) of Surya is worthy of the wedding shirt." (Book 14, verse 30). And in Manu-smriti or laws of Ma
It so happened that in the small, relatively secluded town of Rewalsar in the Himalayas, we arrived quite late, so late that it was hard for small, sleepy and lazy provincial hotels to bother with our settlement. The hosts of the hotels shrugged their shoulders, shook their heads and waving their hands somewhere in the direction of the night slammed the doors in front of our noses. But we were willingly, though not free of charge, accepted to live in a guest house on the territory of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the lake.
As is often the case in Tibetan places, our meeting and accommodation was handled by a Hindu, since it is unsuitable for Tibetan monks to deal with money and worldly matters. In addition, the monastery had been immersed in night darkness for more than an hour, and the monks should have had enough sleep, so that tomorrow early in the morning they should go to meditation with a cheerful and pious face. The Hindu who gave us the keys to the hotel room told us about this and other sorrows of the world, and in order to somehow console himself, he strongly recommended that we visit this event at seven in the morning.
The main topics are below: buses and trains, flights and visas, health and hygiene, safety, route selection, hotels, food, necessary budget. The relevance of this text is spring 2017.
Hotels
"Where will I live there?" - this question is for some reason very strong, just terribly annoying for those who have not yet traveled in India. There is no such problem. Hotels there are a dime a dozen. The main thing is to choose. Next, we are talking about inexpensive, budget hotels.
In my experience, there are three main ways to find a hotel.
Spiral
Usually you will arrive in a new city by bus or train. So around them there is almost always a great mass of hotels. Therefore, it is enough to move a little away from the place of arrival and start walking in a circle with an increasing radius to come across a lot of hotels. inscriptions "Hotel" designates a place where you can have a bite to eat in a large area of India, so signboards are the main landmarks "guest house" And Lounge.
In the zones of mass idleness (Goa, the resorts of Kerala, the Himalayas), the private sector is developed, well, as we have on the Black Sea coast. There you can ask about housing from the local population and focus on the signs " Rent". In Buddhist places you can live in monasteries, in Hindu places in ashrams.
The further you move away from the bus station or railway station, the lower the prices, but hotels are becoming rarer and rarer. So you look at several hotels of reasonable price and quality and return to the chosen one.
If you are traveling in a group, then you can send one or two people light in search of a hotel, while the rest are waiting at the station with things.
If the hotel is refused and they say that the hotel is only for Indians, then insisting on settling is practically useless.
Ask a taxi driver
For those who have a lot of luggage or are just too lazy to look. Or you want to settle near the sights, for example, at the Taj Mahal, and not at the station. Even in large cities there are places of traditional congestion of tourists: in Delhi it is Main Bazaar, in Calcutta it is Sader Street, in Bombay it is also called something, but I forgot, that is, in any case, you need to go there.
In this case, find a rickshaw or taxi driver and set the task of where you want to live, in what conditions and for what kind of money. In this case, you can sometimes be taken to the desired hotel for free, even show you several places to choose from. It is clear that the price immediately increases, it is pointless to bargain, since the taxi driver's commission is already included in the price. But sometimes, when you are too lazy or in the middle of the night, it is very convenient to use this method.
Book online
This is for those who like certainty and assurance, more comfort and less adventure.
Well, if you book in advance, then book hotels of better quality and not too cheap (at least $30-40 per room), because otherwise there is no guarantee that in reality everything will be as beautiful as in the photographs. They also complained to me that sometimes they came to a booked hotel, and the rooms, despite the reservation, were already occupied. The owners of the hotel were not embarrassed, they said that a client came with money, and there was not enough willpower to refuse the client with cash. The money was returned, of course, but it's still a shame.
Finding, checking in and staying in cheap Indian hotels can be an adventure in itself, a source of fun and sometimes not so fun memories. But then there will be something to tell at home.
Settlement technology
- Get rid of the presence of "Hindu helpers" and barkers, their presence automatically increases the cost of settling.
- Go to a hotel that seems worthy of you and ask how much it costs and decide whether it is worth living there, at the same time you have time to appreciate the interior and helpfulness.
- Be sure to ask to show the room before checking in, show dissatisfaction and indignation with all your appearance, ask to show another room, most likely it will be better. This can be done several times, achieving better placement conditions.
Those who are interested in the energy of Osho and Buddha, meditation and India, we invite you all to travel to the places where the greatest mystic of the 20th century Osho was born, lived the first years of his life and gained enlightenment! In one trip, we will combine the exotic of India, meditation, absorb the energy of Osho's places!
The tour plan also includes a visit to Varanasi, Bodhgaya and possibly Khajuraho (subject to availability of tickets)
Key Travel Locations
Kuchvada
A small village in central India, where Osho was born and lived for the first seven years, surrounded and cared for by his loving grandparents. There is still a house in Kuchvad, which has remained exactly the same as it was during Osho's lifetime. Also near the house is a pond, on the banks of which Osho liked to sit for hours and watch the endless movement of the reeds in the wind, funny games and the flights of herons over the surface of the water. You can visit Osho's house, spend time on the banks of a pond, stroll through the village, soak up that serene spirit of rural India, which undoubtedly had an initial influence on the formation of Osho.
In Kuchvada there is a fairly large and comfortable ashram under the patronage of sannyasins from Japan, where we will live and meditate.
A small video "emotional impression" from visiting Kuchvada and Osho's house.
Gadarwara
At the age of 7, Osho moved with his grandmother to his parents in the small town of Gadarwara, where he spent his school years. By the way, the school class where Osho studied still exists, and there is even a desk where Osho sat. You can go to this class, sit at a desk, where our beloved master spent so much time in his childhood. Unfortunately, getting into this class is a matter of chance and luck, depending on which teacher conducts classes in the class. But in any case, you can walk along the streets of Gadarwara, visit the primary and secondary school, the house where Osho lived, Osho's beloved river ...
And most importantly, on the outskirts of the city there is a quiet, small and cozy ashram, where there is a place where, at the age of 14, Osho experienced a deep experience of death.
Video from Osho Ashram in Gadarwar
Jabalpur
Large city with over a million inhabitants. In Jabalpur, Osho studied at the university, then worked as a teacher and became a professor, but the main thing is that at the age of 21 he gained enlightenment, which happened to him in one of the parks of Jabalpur, and the tree under which this happened is still growing on old place.In Jabalpur we will live in a quiet and comfortable ashram with a magnificent park.
From the ashram it is easy to get to the Marble Rocks - a natural wonder where Osho liked to spend time during his stay in Jabalpur.
Varanasi
Varanasi is famous for its cremation fires, which burn day and night. But it also has a surprisingly pleasant promenade, the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple, boat rides on the Ganges. Near Varanasi is the small village of Sarnath, famous for the fact that Buddha read his first sermon there, and ordinary deer were the first listeners.
Bodhgaya
The place of Buddha's enlightenment. In the main temple of the city, which is surrounded by a beautiful and extensive park, a tree still grows in the shade of which the Buddha gained enlightenment.
In addition, Bodhgaya has a wide variety of Buddhist temples erected by followers of the Buddha from many countries: China, Japan, Tibet, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma ... Each temple has its own unique architecture, decoration, and ceremonies.
Khajuraho
Khajuraho itself is not directly related to Osho, except that Osho often mentioned the tantric temples of Khajuraho, and his grandmother was directly related to Khajuraho.
As a result of one event, a post has ripened for me. About Indians. We then discuss them every day, there is no one else. And you are probably interested. After all, India is primarily Indians. And the Indians ... and the Indians are a separate issue.
It is impossible to say unequivocally what kind of Indians they are, but I can try to state some facts. I don’t know what order will be, but rather from bad to good, because it has accumulated !!!
Hindus are curious and very sociable people. Sometimes it pleases, it is easy to make contact with them, and sometimes it annoys to such an extent that there is no more strength. I am learning patience. I already wrote that 2 favorite questions are what is your name and where did you come from. If you decide to visit India, be prepared to answer them a hundred times a day in tourist places. And not in tourist ones - two hundred each, since they cannot ask other questions in English. They save only those places where they do not know English at all, but there will be an incessant "Hello"!
Often on the streets there are rogues, as we call them, who are trying with all their might to drag into the store or sell something right on the spot. Getting rid of them sometimes takes a few minutes and a lot of energy.
Rickshaws are also called rogues because, in addition to their direct duties, they want to bring you to the hotel where it is beneficial for them, to the store from which they receive commissions, sell drugs, and girls were offered in Mysore.
We should not forget about the beggars, who are many in some places, and who can follow you endlessly. The method of struggle has not yet been developed. If there are many of them, then giving one means not getting rid of the crowd of such beggars. We serve some, but not all. Over time, we understand more - who really needs help, and who should not be given, so as not to encourage begging.
This is generally the main contingent that is found on the street every day. But this is not all of India.
Not always people who talk on the street want to sell you something or deceive you. Many people just want to talk. Many know English better than we do, some know it poorly, but this does not interfere with communication. Many girls came up to me - to talk, more often when I'm alone, they are usually shy about boys.
If you sit down at the same table with Hindus, you cannot avoid conversation, but it is often fascinating.
Recently we were approached in Mysore by a grandmother who knows 14 languages, has 5 entities and 9 children. We drank tea, talked, and did not understand what she really wanted from us. And such people meet.
Sometimes a worthy citizen, educated and decent, can start a conversation with you, and after an hour of conversation it turns out that his goal is to sell you a smoke.
It may be otherwise, in especially tourist places they offer immediately and continuously, when I am alone - less often, but in the company of two rastafarians .... Moreover, Paul tries to explain to everyone that he does not smoke.
Hindus are curious people, they can already look at us for hours, surrounded by a tight circle (in childhood, no one told them that it was indecent to look like that), but if they notice something more curious, they do not hesitate to come up and ask. For example, Paul at one time smoked tobacco and had a machine for folding cigarettes, was the object of everyone's attention and often did an encore. Both adults and children, and even policemen, approached him.
Hindus are not averse to taking pictures, no one will refuse, children run from all over the yard, and adults too.
Many ask to be photographed, some you can’t get rid of, and some want to take a picture with us. can line up. the record was in Goa, where 30 people were photographed with Zuma in turn.
This aunt froze in this position, seeing that she was being photographed, we felt sorry for her, she stood for about 5 minutes and we stopped. We all waited for her to start working so that we could take pictures at work.
In general, Indians are hospitable and cheerful people.
They can easily help you find accommodation and tell you about the city (absolutely disinterested),
Do not take money for tea if they like you, give flowers, fruits and other pleasant trifles, invite you to the house and feed you lunch,
Pass through all the temples of the city,
Can I get a massage
rather go out having friends
Yes, and many many you can have pleasant surprises when meeting with Indians
as a Hindu told us the other day - I don't like anything in India, but I love India.
I’m finishing this post, they are different Indians, they are not like we are used to, they sometimes delight, and sometimes enrage, and there are a lot of them !!!
The eyes are often compared to the sun and moon. Another symbolic meaning is fire. The two eyes can only see the past and the present. The third eye is empowered to see the future. 2). SINDUR - a red mark in the parting. It is applied with a blood-red powder. This decoration is used exclusively by married women. Sindur is an important component in Hindu deity worship (pujas). Red is a symbol of fertility and the restoration of power, the female energy of Sati and Parvati. Sati is the ideal wife in Hinduism because of the sacrifices she performs to protect her husband's honor. 3). TIKA - the pendant should hit exactly in the center of the forehead. This place is considered the home of the Ajna Chakra. Thus, a woman repeats her status as a married woman. 4). KOLYA - a wide black line around the eyes, where the arrows connect, giving a special sharpness to the look: “My eyes, not eyes, beloved, but arrows of light. My eyebrows, not eyebrows, but swords of destruction.” Every feeling of the heart is conveyed through the eyes. They can express reverence, sympathy, love, lust. Indian poets usually want to drown "in the depths of their beloved's eyes." Most of the poetic comparisons about eyes are taken from nature. Eyes like a narcissus, an almond, a lily, like a "fish shining in gliding", like seas and oceans, abysses, fire, etc. 5). NAT - a ring or other decoration in the nose. Nat is considered the most seductive decoration. Nose earrings come in a variety of forms, ranging from precious studs to large, full-cheek gold hoops. 6). HAARA - necklace, beads, necklace. The neck is one of the important mystical centers. Therefore, it is believed that the necklace attracts and preserves love, brings good luck, protects from the evil eye. Among other types of jewelry, necklaces have always had the maximum magical charm. Probably, a bright and rich necklace distracted the ill-wisher from the face of the owner and thus protected from the danger of the evil eye, hypnotic influence. Most likely, the predecessor of the beads was an ordinary flower garland. But the aroma of many flowers, for example, jasmine, roses, has a clear erotic overtones... 7). KARN PHUL - literally, a flower in the ear. Since ancient times, the earlobe was considered as a sign of spiritual development and high social status. According to legend, earrings are a consolation in pain and suffering. The more decorative and expensive the earrings, the more comfort a person receives. The most popular from ancient times to the present day are earrings in the form of flowers and fruits. They reflect tenderness, youth, spiritual perfection, ingenuity, innocence - the main attributes of a female character. 8). MENDY - henna drawing. Unlike a tattoo, it is a temporary decoration of the body and lasts about three weeks. Most common in the Arab countries, India, North Africa and Indonesia. Mendi appeared about 5000 years ago. Even in ancient Egypt, noble ladies decorated their bodies and nails with a pattern. In the XII century, it gained a foothold in India, becoming not only an ornament. For example, many Arab women believe that mehndi brings happiness and protects against bad luck. So, the day before the wedding (on a bachelorette party), the bride is painted with a pattern, and the remaining henna is buried in the ground to protect marriage and avoid her husband's infidelity. Mendi means the power of love in marriage . The darker the mehndi, the stronger the love, the red color is the color of fertility, power. Only floral ornaments are used in the drawing, they symbolically connect a woman with nature, the concepts of birth, nutrition, growth, regeneration. Mehendi protects from evil spirits, misfortunes, diseases and even death. 9). WRIST BRACELETS. Poets call them brilliant tokens of radiant life, circles of light for a happy daughter and a happy wife. The bracelets symbolize the powerful energy of the sun. They are made from any material that can be processed: terracotta, stone, shells, copper, bronze, gold, silver, etc. Bracelets are a sign of a married woman. They have many romantic and amorous allusions. The ringing sound of the bracelet indicates the presence of a woman, that she needs attention, that she is angry or wants to exchange glances. A married woman will never allow herself to appear in society without bracelets. As a rule, wear 8, 12 or 24 bracelets on each wrist. 10). BAADJUBAND - a bandage, bracelet or thread with an amulet on the forearm. Depending on the traditions accepted in the community, and on the status of a woman in marriage, a baadjuband can cover the entire upper part of the arm from the elbow to the shoulder. Baadzhyuband should sit firmly on the hand. It is made of various materials, richly decorated with ornaments. It serves as a kavacha - protection from evil looks and is considered a symbol of impeccable beauty. 
eleven). ARSI - a ring with a mirror, worn on the thumb. According to legend, the first thing a woman should see when waking up is her face. To do this, you always need a mirror at hand ... Gold rings are put on the other fingers, or jewelry consisting of a central medallion, to which 8 chains are attached - three of them are attached to the bracelet, five - to the rings worn on the fingers. 12). KESHAPACHARACHNA - hair decoration. Hair is related to the earth element as something solid and material; to the element of water, as they are free, fluid; to the element of fire, because they come from the furnace of the brain to the element of air, since they are light and can be carried away by the wind. Hair has a life of its own. They grow faster than all other parts of the body. They represent the connection between this world and the future. Hair is a source of vital and magical power. They form a crown around the head, the holiest part of a person. Braided hair is considered the most auspicious symbol. According to mythology. Three lashes of hair in a braid represent the three most revered Indian rivers - Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, as well as the trinity of gods - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. 13). KAMARBAND - waist belt that holds and decorates the sari. Protects the manipura chakra. Holds a bunch of keys, which means a symbolic transfer of power from the mother-in-law to the daughter-in-law, new powers and responsibilities.
If there were a rating of countries that are most unlike other countries in the world, then surely India would take the first place in such a rating. This state, located in South Asia, has amazed and surprised travelers from Europe and Asia in all ages, because the traditions, customs and way of life of the Indians have always been original and radically different from the way of life of other peoples. And even several centuries of life under the rule of Great Britain did not change the Indian nation, and in the 21st century, like centuries ago, the inhabitants of India also surprise Europeans with their national character traits and way of life. What is the peculiarity of the worldview and psychology of the Indians, due to which the mystery of the soul of this nation for centuries could not be understood by the best minds of Europe and Asia?
National features of Indians
All travelers visiting modern India agree that this state is a country of contrasts, in which seemingly incompatible things are combined: in Indian cities, luxurious mansions of dollar millionaires are adjacent to slums, and modern factories and offices are next to ancient Hindu temples. gods. And the Indians themselves, like their country, are full of contrasts: these people use modern technology, but there is still an unofficial division into castes in their society; they watch pro movies, but create families by agreement; they love everything beautiful and bright, but they don’t really care about the cleanliness of their cities and the surrounding nature.
There are few mediocre personalities among Indians, because artistry, sociability and curiosity are the national features of the character of this nation . It is these character traits of the inhabitants of India that are most noticeable to foreigners, because Indians can easily approach a traveler on the street to get to know him and ask about his country, and in Indian markets and shops, local sellers will show great courtesy and miracles of ingenuity to convince a tourist buy something from them. However, the psychology of the Indians is much deeper, and the national characteristics of this nation are not limited to sociability and artistry. And other, no less striking features of the national character of the inhabitants of India are:
- The spirit of collectivism. Indians have long been accustomed to living in large families and solving all important issues with the whole community, and even now, in the era of individualism, the concept of personal space and is alien to most Indians. For Indians, there are no forbidden and too personal topics - they can feel free to ask intimate questions to an unfamiliar interlocutor and tell very personal things about themselves. The same attitude in India to personal space in everyday life - an Indian will feel quite comfortable if he has to spend the night in the same room with distant relatives or even strangers.
Goodwill.
It is difficult to find more benevolent and caring people than Indians, because the kindness and courtesy of these people is manifested in everything. Residents of India are always ready to help both a fellow citizen and a foreigner who finds himself in a difficult situation: for example, a tourist who gets lost in the city can be taken to a hotel at his own expense, and a person who asked for a glass of water on a hot day can be seated at the table with his family and serve lunch. The benevolence of the Indians is also visible in simple communication with representatives of this nation - they will listen with great interest to the interlocutor and will gladly answer all his questions.- Peacefulness. Most tourists who have visited India agree that it was on the streets of Indian cities, surrounded by hundreds of people, that they felt most safe. And this is not surprising, because the Indians really do not like conflicts and violence, so they always try to avoid disputes and behave in a friendly and peaceful manner.
- Carelessness. Indians are a very carefree nation, and most representatives of this people have an easy attitude to life. A resident of India, unlike a pedantic one, will not worry about formalities and trifles and make detailed plans for the future. It is thanks to the carelessness of the Indians that only in India you can see dentists, hairdressers and cooks working right on the street. And another clear sign of Indian carelessness is the fact that almost no one follows the rules of the road on the roads of this country, and motorists and motorcyclists drive as they please. But despite the fact that the roadways of Indian cities are often full of confusion, the number of accidents in this country is not higher than in other countries.
Love for beauty and art.
Indians like luxury, beautiful clothes, jewelry made of gold and stones, and beautiful art. And the elegant and luxurious-looking traditional Indian women's sari outfit, and the Indian tradition of decorating your body with drawings for the holidays, and the breathtaking architecture of Hindu temples testify to the craving of the inhabitants of India for beauty. And Bollywood films are not as rich in special effects as Hollywood films, but their scenery fascinates with its beauty, and the plot - with passion, soulfulness and a special Indian flavor.- Religiosity. There are practically no unbelievers in India, but despite the fact that adherents of different religions (Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians) live here, there are no religious conflicts. Almost every Indian home has prayer rooms, and even in modern offices it is considered normal to place figurines of the gods on the desktop, view a horoscope or read mantras before starting an important business. And religious Hindu holidays in India are celebrated by the whole country, and on a much larger scale than in Russia, Europe, and they celebrate Christmas or Easter.
- Conservative. Indian society is quite conservative, therefore, even though the Constitution of this state declares universal equality, the caste system exists in India to this day, and it is very difficult to move to a higher caste. Indians also sacredly honor their religious, folk and family traditions, but at the same time they respect other people's customs and other gods.
Psychology of Indians in personal life and at home
Since Indian society is conservative, patriarchal traditions are strong here, and it is still not uncommon for young people to create families not out of love, but as a result of an agreement between their parents. However, Indians pay attention not only to the financial condition of the future son-in-law / daughter-in-law, but also to a number of factors - appearance, character, habits, and even the sign of the Zodiac. Couples are selected very harmoniously, therefore, in such arranged marriages, love and mutual understanding appear over time.
Divorces in India are quite rare, as Indians are oriented towards traditional family values from the very beginning and are sure that marriage is for life. Unlike Indian youth, for the most part, they do not seek to acquire their own housing, but prefer to live with their parents. And if in large cities the situation is gradually changing, then in the provinces most people live in large families - often three or four generations of the same family live under the same roof at once. In such large families, a patriarchal way of life is preserved, in which all decisions are made by the older men of the family.
Indians, like the British, are confident in the veracity of the saying "my house is my fortress", therefore they prefer to live in large and comfortable houses, where there is everything necessary for the comfort of each family member. A mandatory element of every Indian private residence is one or more patios, which are always cool thanks to the shade from the house and the trees growing here. If the house has several floors, then the first floor is almost always occupied by utility rooms, and the bedrooms are located on the second floor and above. Due to the hot climate, Indians prefer to spend their free time in the cool rooms of the house or in the courtyard. Since in India neighbors and relatives regularly communicate with each other, often Indian families either host guests in the evenings, or go to visit neighbors or relatives themselves to chat.
