Indian Taboo

Indian Taboo

हिंदी Beauty Health Inspire Karma Love Mother Home Stories Sex Forum

By Anmol Raina

5 min read

Inspired by the Harry Potter movies, Anmol started writing short stories at the age of 7 (which were as good as they could be). Now 21, and pursuing a Bachelors in Business Administration, she has started writing blogs mostly on pop culture and issues that affect the masses. A feminist to the core, she hopes to work for the United Nations some day on their Women Empowerment projects.

I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy

Copyrights © 2021 WomenNow LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Previous

7 Reasons why your boyfriend is behaving so selfish with you

We are one of the oldest civilisations on this planet. By many accounts, we were also one of the wisest. Yet, that wisdom seems to have stagnated for several centuries now. These days, we have become so engrossed in the surface learnings from the West, that we have forgotten the lessons that our ancestors taught us. Lessons on introspection, the art of asking questions, of evolving with time. It would not be wrong to say that in many ways we have decided to stop our mental evolution. We want to stay within the safety of some ideas that we remember from the past. And this kind of thinking is what has led to the taboo that surrounds so many aspects of our lives even today. Sadly, the worst hit in all of this is women.
Taboos keep changing in number and reasoning from region to region. There are several cultural taboos in India. Some more dangerous than the others. Other stronger than some. We can only hope for change if we understand where these taboos come from. Here are 5 topics that are considered taboo in Indian culture and why!
The majority of the country still believes that one should marry within their religion and caste. Although for many in the urban, upper-middle-class and above families, these issues don’t matter any more. But the vast majority of the country still lives in small villages and cities where ancient beliefs still prevail. There are several factors behind the prevalence of this taboo. Many believe that marrying outside one’s caste or religion is a sin . It is believed that such an act leads to the couple, their offspring, and their families, all being cursed for eternity.
Those who don’t believe in such myths find it difficult to challenge societal norms . The “Log kya kahenge” dialogue has been ruining lives in India since God knows how long! We are a society that cares deeply about the opinions of those around us. And it is an undeniable fact that mixed marriages are looked down upon . They are seen as a betrayal to one’s religion or caste . Especially for women. We are a patriarchal society where a couple’s children take their father’s name and religion. In such a society, the mother’s identity gets lost completely. So, even in many metropolitan cities, while it is acceptable for a man to marry outside his religion. Women still have to face an uphill battle just to get married. Followed by a lifetime of gossip about their life.
The East learns from the West in this new world order. So, I can’t call Indians out on their homophobia, knowing that it is a global problem. However, homophobia in our society is a sign of our intellectual regression. Especially because homosexuality was accepted in ancient India . In his book “Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex”, writer Amara Das Wilhelm talks extensively about the existence of homosexuals and the third gender in ancient India. The book contains extensive research of ancient Sanskrit texts. And concludes that homosexuality was accepted by the society back then.
The world-renowned book, Kama Sutra , also mentions ‘Swarinis’ who were women who married one another and raised children together . Sculptures of the Khajuraho temple in Madhya Pradesh depict people of the same gender engaging in sexual acts. Bhagirathi is a King of ancient India who is said to have been born to two queens. Of course, the tale involves a magic potion that made them pregnant with the former king’s child. And the interpretations of these and many other mentions changes depending upon whether you are talking to a liberal or a homophobe . But the way Indians today see homosexuality as unnatural is not an opinion which always existed in this country. We often forget that it was the British who made homosexuality a crime in our law.
It pains me to see how regressive we have become as a society. Once, one of the most liberal civilisations has now become one of the most conservative. For as long as anyone can remember, sex has been seen as a sin in our society . Talking about it or even harbouring sexual desire is considered shameful. While the virility of men is a matter of pride. The sexual desires of women are looked down upon . Essentially reducing women to objects whose purpose is to satisfy the needs of her husband. And pre-marital sex is a sin from which you cannot recover.
But several studies of ancient texts leads me to believe that this wasn’t always our attitude towards the act of lovemaking. After all, one of the most renowned texts on sex and the art of pleasuring was written in India: the Kama Sutra . The fact that we are one of the most populated countries in the world, reveals our hypocrisy on another level. With one or two short verses, Vatsyayana rejects the possibility that the sexual act is intended only to produce children . One of the things that distinguish human beings from animals’ sex, he points out, is the fact that, unlike animals, human women have sex even when they are not in their fertile period.
One might wonder why all of these taboos revolve around the relationship between two people. Love is an emotion that is at the core of humanity. By controlling the aspects of love in a person’s life, you control them. That is what the Laws of Manu aim to do about women. And the ignorant men of our time choose to follow those laws as they ensure male superiority. In our society, being in an abusive and sad marriage is considered better than getting divorced . It is always the women who seek divorce who are blamed for the end of her marriage. Because of this, it is far easier for a divorced man to get married than a divorced woman.
Many ancient texts describe divorced or widowed women as second-hand objects . And even today, women who seek divorce live a life of shame and ridicule. Things aren’t easier for widowed women either. And why would any of this not make sense? After all, we are a society that believes it is a matter of great pride to stay in a bad marriage . And even the family of the tormented women discourages her from seeking a divorce.
When I was in the 7 th standard, a friend of mine showed me a side of India, that I never knew existed. Her grandmother made her stay in a separate room outside the main house all 7 days of her periods. This friend wasn’t from a backward village. She was from the city of Kanpur. This itself should show how widely spread the taboo around menstruation are. In many regions, menstrual blood is considered to be ‘sin’ leaving the body . The shame that we are made to feel about our body extends to its biological processes too. Menstrual blood is seen as impure and dirty, simply by the virtue of where it comes out from. This taboo around menstruation is the cause behind the lack of menstrual hygiene awareness in India . Problems arising from this lead to so many diseases and deaths among women.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

info@commisceo-global.com
+44 0330 027 0207 or +1 (818) 532-6908

You are here:

Blog

10 Taboos to Avoid When Doing Business in India

india

indian

etiquette

taboos

asia

Indian culture is colourful and complex.
For those new to the country, it’s important to learn the rules around behaviour.
Venturing into India believing ‘everyone does business the same’ will undoubtedly lead to challenges.
If you don’t take the time and make the effort to learn about their way of doing things , you’ll never really appreciate how to make a real impact in the country.
Success in India means making a good impression and building strong relationships.
To do so, you have to know what manners are good and what to avoid i.e taboos.
So, in this blog we’re going to focus on 10 cultural taboos you really must stay well away from in conversation, small talk and during your time in India.
At the END of the PAGE you'll find a link to a FREE sample of our eLEARNING COURSE on INDIAN BUSINESS CULTURE.
Although many Indians imbibe, culturally speaking, alcohol is not viewed positively.
Those that like their alcohol may be viewed as having a character flaw. So, if you’re one to have a few glasses at lunch and then again at dinner, you may raise some eyebrows.
Making jokes about, boasting or highlighting how much alcohol you can drink will not go down well with Indians.
Marriage is a cornerstone in Indian culture and as a result, divorce is a source of shame.
Divorcees can be shunned by their families and the social impact it has can be devastating in that people can lose respect and status.
People don’t speak about their divorces, so neither should you.
Many taboos within Indian society are influenced by religion.
This is also true of Indian business culture and helps explain many of the common challenges foreigners face when working with Indians .
Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels.
Indians associate sex with morality and it’s therefore still considered a majorly taboo topic.
Sex, and all that goes with it, is not discussed openly in the land of the Kama Sutra.
If you come from a culture where this may not be the case, be careful to stay well away from this taboo, even if it’s a joke.
The topic of women’s periods brings up all sorts of taboos in Indian culture.
When women are menstruating, there is an expectation that they should keep their distance from others; it’s common to see signs outside places of worship requesting women on their periods do not enter.
Beware, that even asking for sanitary pads in a pharmacy must be done with a certain level of discretion.
Indian culture widely sees homosexuality and same-sex relationships as complete taboo.
Those who identify as LBGTQ are rarely open about it and those that are, usually face consequences within their wider communities.
Openly discussing the topic is a no-go.
Watching TV is a great way to learn about different cultures.
Those dealing with psychological challenges have traditionally been viewed as deficient in Indian culture.
Mental illness is hidden and brushed under the carpet so as to avoid any potential embarrassment or bring shame on a family.
Advertising your personal struggles with mental illness will likely cause people to squirm.
Smoking is seen as a masculine past-time; and one that people generally view negatively.
Women who smoke are therefore seen as having questionable characters and not generally someone that others want to be around.
So, if you do smoke, and are a woman, be careful where you do it.
As with many cultures, in India, the left hand carries a taboo.
People do not use their left hands for eating, shaking hands, passing things or anything similar.
So, when in India be careful to always use your right hand.
Some cultures can laugh at failure and learn from it; others avoid it out of fear, embarrassment, shame and dishonour.
Indian culture definitely falls into the latter.
People do not openly discuss failure, especially if it’s personal or closely associated with them.
In public, hugging, caressing and kissing your partner is simply not done.
Even holding hands is taboo in many places.
Be very careful with displays of affection when around others as what can be innocent in your home country, may be seen as vulgar in India.
We hope these tips on taboos in Indian culture have helped!
This is the sort of information we share with professionals in our cultural awareness training courses.
If you are doing business in India or working with Indians, why not have a look at our eLearning course on India business culture ?
It’s packed full of tips around making a good impression, running meetings, communication, teamwork and of course etiquette and taboos!
Photo by Darshak Pandya from Pexels
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.commisceo-global.com/
34 New House, 67-68 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8JY, UK. 1950 W. Corporate Way PMB 25615, Anaheim, CA 92801, USA. +44 0330 027 0207 or +1 (818) 532-6908
© Commisceo Global Consulting Ltd. 2022 All Rights Reserved.

Try refreshing the page, or try again later.
Something went wrong. Wait a moment and try again.

Horny Gets Naked
Japanese Horny Teen
Sweet Butterfly Anal

Indian Taboo

Report Page