By Hemant SharmaPeople often think that India is THE most superstitious country in the entire world, but that’s not factually true, you see, there are many other nations that are equally or even more superstitious than India. Though, we aren’t here to talk about those other nations today, we’re here to see which superstitions are the ones that so many people believe in India. Sure, many of them you may have heard already, but some might be really new to you, especially if you’re a foreigner visiting India. So, let’s now just get down to the list of the top 10 most common superstitions in India so far, alright then, let’s get to the list right away.
1. Black Cat Crossing Your Path Is Bad Luck
This has to be one if not the most common and widely believed superstitions in India, like, if you see a black cat crossing your way or path, then you’d have to wait for someone else to go the same way so that the bad luck will not be upon you. Or something like that! If you’re a foreigner, you’ll sometimes see people stopping in their tracks and waiting when something like this happens. And it is not just a matter of black cats actually, if any cat crosses the road, most people would stop and wait for a bit.
Though there are many beliefs about why this superstition came into existence, some say that it is tied to ancient Egypt, where black cats were used to be seen as something related to witchcraft. Others say that it is actually true because there used to be so many big cats aka tigers in India, and if a tiger crosses your path, it is highly likely that it’ll attack you from behind. So it is tied to that as well.
2. Lemon and Chilies Keep Evil Away
No matter if it is a house, a shop or any other building, you may have seen a lot of people just hanging chillies and lemons just outside the entrance, right? Why’s that though? Like what does it even mean? Well, this one is also a super common superstition where people believe that doing something like this actually keeps the “evil eye” or the overall negative vibes away from a place. Some say that back in the day it was just a way to keep the bugs away because lemons have citric acid and chillies have capsaicin, but now this whole thing has become a superstition somehow.
3. No Cutting Nails or Hair After Sunset
Right here in India, people usually don’t cut their hair or nails after sunset, and that’s just to avoid bad luck. This again can be linked to something in old times where at night people didn’t have electricity, so cutting hair and nails used to be risky with a sharp blade, you know? It is just that!
4. Don’t Sweep the Floor After Dark
See, right here in India, sweeping the floor is a totally daytime thing, you’d never see someone sweep the floor after it is dark outside. Why? Well, people think that doing something like this can chase away Goddess Lakshmi, and it is a way to bring more money problems into a household. Again, there is a logical backing to this one as well, like, before electric lights, sweeping in the dark could mean losing tiny valuables like jewellery or coins.
5. Peepal Trees Are Haunted at Night
If you live in India, you’d know that somehow, peepal trees are linked with ghosts, especially at night time. Again, it has some logical and scientific banking as well, like, at night, a peepal tree releases a lot of CO2, and if you happen to be sleeping under a peepal tree, it can be fatal or risky.
6. Eclipses Are Super Inauspicious
This one, you see, is closely linked to Hindu mythology, and there is no logical or scientific explanation behind it. Like, it is believed right here in India so much that people even start to avoid eating food, cooking, and stepping outside, especially pregnant women. And it is not just solar eclipses, people follow these things during lunar eclipses as well.
7. No Temple Visits During Menstruation
Oh, this next is a pretty debated topic actually, you see, there is this belief that women who are in their menstruation cycle, can’t or shouldn’t go to temples because they’re seen as “impure.” Again, there is no logical explanation behind it, though, it might’ve been a way to let women rest instead of doing long temple rituals.
8. Eye Twitching Tells the Future
In India, people strongly believe that when they have eye twitching, it means something, like something is about to happen. Like, if your right eye is twitching, it may be a sign of good luck or something good is about to happen to you. But what if it is the left eye? Oh, well, as per this belief or superstition, you’re in big trouble because it just means bad luck. But the thing is, there are literally a lot of things that can make your eyes twitch, and that’s why there is no explanation behind this one as well.
9. Horseshoe on the Door Brings Luck
You see, whenever people build a new building right here in India, they nail an iron horseshoe at the entrance of the building, mainly homes and shops. It is just seen as something that brings good luck and keeps evil spirits away. Though, it is not even a superstition that started in India, it was a Western tradition that made its way into India somehow.
10. Bathing After a Funeral
Everyone in India believes in this superstition because it is believed that it washes off negative energy and stops bad luck from sneaking into the house after you have just visited the Shamshan or cremation ground. Well, if you look at it, there is a good explanation behind it, like, back in the day, these cremation grounds weren’t used to be hygienic, so bathing after a funeral seems like a good idea.
Conclusion
There you have it. Sure, just like that, there are literally hundreds of superstitions in India, but out of all those, these are the most common ones that you’ll see people believing in literally every part of the country. So, that’s that!