Customs in India

Just take out the customs and traditions from India and it would seem like a colourless sketch of a pretty woman, a woman without ornamentation. The Indian customs begin with each birth and continue from the cradle, right through adolescence, unto the grave.

As Mark Twain rightly said - "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition".
Vedic Tradition

The Vedic background of India's religious traditions is a source of pride for every Indian as well as an engrossing topic of debate. Neither the earliest practices nor the earliest practitioners have a certain credibility still the prestige and influence of Vedic tradition is beyond doubt.

Hinduism

The mega-tradition of India, possibly the most ancient of the human civilisation. Its ideology of liberal attitude, quick and indifferent adaptability, infinite tolerance and patience have no doubt made it esteemed and everlasting among the existing religions. Ignominious for its deep rooted casteism and regionalism, yet it is an element of curiosity among the foreigners.

Jainism

Like Buddhism, it is an ancient ascetical tradition. The last prophet was Vardhamana, who was given the title 'Mahavira" (Great Hero) and is believed to be the last of the Tirthankaras (those who had crossed-over or "forded" the ocean of earthly existence and had reached the ultimate realm of eternal bliss). Alike Buddhism, Jainism also got split into subtraditions - Digambar and Shwetambar.

Buddhism

Originating from northern India about 2500 years ago in response to the teachings of Gautama Siddhartha - who was given the title 'Buddha' or awakened-one, the tradition has spread throughout the world and got subdivided into distinct groups. Although monasticism was a major aspect of early Buddhism, the tradition has both monastic and non-monastic followers.

Islam

The youngest of the Abraham traditions, it dates back to seventh century , and emulates itself with the prophetic strands of Biblical tradition. However, it has highly developed legal and mystical traditions of its own as well. It is "religion of the book" in which the Qur'an is widely regarded as the full and final revelation of the "One Creator" of the universe to his last and final prophet, Muhammad. The second (perhaps even first) most populous religious tradition in the world.

Sikhism

The tradition that developed from the teachings of Guru Nanak and his nine successors. The lineage of human spiritual masters ended with Guru Gobind Singh and subsequently the teaching authority passed to the Guru Granth Sahib -- a highly honored scripture -- and the collective membership of the baptized order within Sikh tradition that was established by the last of the human masters -- the Khalsa Panth.

Zoroastrianism

In the last millennium, this tradition probably was at the peak of its influence as a major religion of the Persian Empire. It was overcome by the rise of Islam, and has been preserved mainly through immigrants to India known as Parsi (Persian). More recently its small number of descendants live not only in India but also abroad.