In India, people of different religion, speaking different language stays together in harmony. People of each religion follow some of their core rituals which they believe are necessary for a better life. Description of such rituals can be mentioned in their spiritual books or folk tales. Practicing rituals can impact a person’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being and contribute to enhancing their quality of life.
India Fasting is one such ritual and a total of 13 types of fasting exist which is practiced by people. In command words, Fasting means not taking food, or water for certain time duration.
Fasting has a biological and psychological impact on our health and mind. Let’s discuss this in detail
1) Biological impact of fasting:
The basic cause of many diseases is the accumulation of toxic materials in the digestive system. Clearing this results in a healthy body and mind. While people do fasting, the digestive system is at rest, and previously accumulated elements get processed properly. Fasting also lowers the acid content in the body and helps people to retain their sanity.
2) Psychological impact of Fasting:
The reason for fasting most of the time is religious. While people fast they are supposed to read or do certain activities which helps them boost cognitive performance. How it works:
- a) While person do fasting they are supposed to read some stories or narrations as per their religion which helps them in enhancing their patience, hope perseverance as the content talks about the struggle, suffering, survival, success, and the bigger purpose of life.
- b) Reading such content reduces the amount of negative emotions.
- c) In fasting people are supposed to do worship. Which helps them be connected to God. This helps people to be honest with themselves and surrender their sorrow and suffering to God. Also, find hope and desire for success in return.
- d) People are supposed to follow a certain lifestyle for that day or days of fasting. This helps them to be constantly aware of the purpose of fasting. This works as a reminder to them.
- e) If anyone is fasting for a husband or son then they get a chance to rethink their relationship with them and feel grateful to have them in their life.
These are a few benefits of practicing religious rituals and the list is long
- Karwa Chauth Karwa Chauth is one such ritual where females fast and do pooja for the long life of their husbands. They get ready following all the necessary traditions.
- Hariyali Teej: Hariyali Teej is also one such festival where females do fasting for their husbands. This day is celebrated to remember the reunion of Shiva and Mata Parvati.
Such ritual develops a sense of faith in a person.
Faith:
Faith in oneself and God is the reason for people’s survival. Loss of faith can lead to distraction of self. Religion discuses success stories of God or the Prophet. Which helps people in developing and maintaining belief in goodness.
In short, Religion gives belief in goodness and broader perspective to ones observation of the world.
Few rituals and their psychological benefits:
- Applying Mehandi: Mehandi is Herb. When anyone is getting married or preparing for any auspicious occasion they are supposed to apply it because they are full of excitement and nervousness. Such body change can cause fever, headache or body aches. Apply Mehandi to cool the body. Mehandi is applied on hands and feet because it’s the house of never-ending in the body.
- Touching feet: When we touch feet of the people who are older to us or pious, what we actually do is lower over ego and offer respect to them. When they receive respect they emit positive thoughts and energy. This is a quick connection between two hearts and minds. This connection helps the person to receive positive energy and lower their ego.
- Visiting Spiritual Place: Spiritual places are higher in terms of positive energy in comparison to other places. In spiritual places, people are very close to their natural being, exhibits positive thought, and practice activities that generate positivity. Also, such places have idols or grave, which people observes with respect and worship. Such a sudden change in thought process is instant relief to the mind and creates a background for catharsis.
- How sound (bells) works in this process: when people enter in temple, they ring bells because this process keeps the negative or evil away. Also, it helps in clearing the mind and lets the person focus well on the payer and the process that they are conducting.
Why do females receive more fasting rituals and religious responsibilities?
People ask why only females have to do fasting, why they have to leave the house after marriage, why they experience painful puberty changes, and why females have to cook in the family, and the answer to this is- As compared to males 16 Dharma sanskara’s female received only one sanskar to be performed which is marriage. Because females are physically and psychologically much stronger than males.
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Females leave the house after marriage in India because they are more competent of accepting change psychologically. They experience puberty changes before male because their body is stronger.
They have the capacity to create life and give birth to it and, they are supposed to cook in the family and cooking food is equal to yagaya. Also, they got this job of cooking because they were better at channeling energy and transmitting it to others.
The nature of the thoughts a person holds while cooking affects the energy of the food being cooked. That’s why one can observe that Parsad seems much more tasty than normal food because people cook that have greater positive thoughts and devotion.
In short, females were supposed to create and naturist the humans that’s why it was necessary for them to be more healthy and clear-minded. For gaining that they were supposed to do fasting and religious practices. They were not assigned this responsibility to create different, but it was for maintaining, balancing, and creating harmony in the world.
Not all but most of the ritual holds scientific explanations and knowing that makes us follow those practices more religiously.
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