Culture and Tradition (in Telugu) by Aditi Devarakonda

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Summary

The video talks about South Indian Hindu culture and tradition in terms of practices. We take good care of our guests. It is customary to provide drinks and snacks (it usually consists of something sweet and something spicy). In our culture, we respect our elders, and we touch their feet for their blessings. Our parents are equivalent to god, so we treat them as such. Our teachers are also equivalent to god, and we treat them with the utmost respect. Many of us are vegetarians or we limit our diet to certain meats, and this is because we have many gods who represent these animals. We also cannot kill these animals. For example, Lord Ganesha has an elephant head, Nandi (the vehicle of Lord Shiva) is a bull, Varaha (an avatar of Lord Vishnu) is a boar, etc. In terms of tradition, many people learn Indian Classical Dances (Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali, etc.); poetry; Karnatic Music; or how to play instruments like the Sitar, Veena, Tabla, etc. We also have religious ceremonies (prayers) called poojas. My mother, in particular, cooks the food in wet clothes, and she cannot taste the food as she cooks. We offer the food to god, and god must eat the food before we eat it. We also offer fruits, flowers, and rice covered in turmeric (Akshintalu) to our god. We drink this thing called Theertham (sacred water) while we are praying. We usually walk an odd number of times around the Mandir (the place that holds our gods). After the entire pooja is over, the entire family eats together. We also decorate our houses with oil lamps (Diwali) or with beautiful designs outside the house (commonly referred to as Rangoli). These things are basically inviting god to our house by making our house look appealing.

Fun Facts

- It is a sin to touch the feet of someone younger than us.

- There is a saying in Telugu that says that someone will go blind if they kick their elders.

- We say that if you say bad things after the sun goes down, god will make them come true.

- Sometimes meals, after poojas, are served on plates made entirely of Banana leaves!

I encourage you guys to search for the things you don't understand, or you can contact me and I'd be willing to explain these things more in-depth.