Do you know why 'no' to few things in our culture?

Re: Do you know why?

Ani,

You set us all thinking, good!!

I assume we all have these dos don't dos from moms and others, with usually not much reason attached to it. One that was usually handed out was to avoid thick curds, nellikai(gooseberry), butter/ghee, spinach among other things for the night meal. I recently read that in olden days, in the times of no electric bulbs et all, when creepy crawly creatures abounded, the risk of poisonous bites was high. And eating any of these taboo items would affect the cure,the pathyam of removing the posion.

 

Do you know why?

HI Anita,
I think its just all bad indications.
like when u hold ur head in ur hands...is in very sad mood & miserable conditions..& for leg crossing also there might be some reason....some things we will not do for living humanbeings..some things we folllow for later elders,& dead bodies..this might be the reason. this is what my mind tell me...with my observation.

same answer we got ..when we questioned our mom& relatives...oh..my god..this generation people!!..uhff!!...
& buy my mom said u willlonly get to know..once u become big.
but we have to know the reason to answer our kids.

Hope u got ..
will wait for our other IL answers too..
:wave Suneeta

 

Do you know why?

Hello Ilites,
like this we have so many things..now also people r following.,
In telugu words Antu,Sontu..this is mainly for cleanly ness & to avoid food spoiling..
I too follow these & my food never spoiled.
1.In olden days people used to cook rice on poyyi(Adupula).which is olden clay stove , wooden sticks as the fuel..
& rice starcth comes out of vessel..once it become dry the starch flakes will form..so where ever they keep rice vessel..there this flakes get sticked ..& wehave to clean that particuler place..
If we touch that vessel..some flakes sticks to our hands..so obviously we clean our hands to avoid food spoiling..
if suppose directly with that rice hands we touch another curd vessel or pickels or ghee..then rice grains or flakes will fell down into these vessels & food gets spoiled.
These r OK & i too follow these to avoid food spoiling

2.But the following rules irrittates me ..
not to keep POPU dabba on counter top & not to keep coffepowder,chutney dal together with all other grocery(lentils,spices)& not to touch grocery with frying hands(means while seasoning we touch Spatula with the same if we touch another container of grocery..people say it will get spoil)..

Now a days we r using steel, ceramic containers.(not clay vessels & stone vesels,brass vessels)
& for rice gas stove, pressure cookers, electric cookers, MWs

these habits r good only, but not all in these days i believe.

Waiting for replies.
Bye :wave

 

Re: Do you know why?

Justani,
One should not sleep facing north, i believe is because of the ganesha getting his elephant head ....
Then washing the heal first take its origin from a story about a bhakta of devi, and sani bagwan. it was time of sani to come into the bhaktas life for sade sath, but devi requested not to.. but then sani bagwan said he cannot stop, so he said he will for 7.5 nalligai. that through the baktas heel, where he leaves a part of his heel dry when washing his heel first. My paati used to say dont scold saniyane, we dont know he could come in through your tongue.... crazy... but maybe it was thier way of teaching us not to use harsh words.....
But scientifically i feel heels have to be taken good care, as they hold our body weight. and so have to be kept clean. if u watch kids washing their leg you will understand they just pour water on thier leg and come out. if it is said that they have to wash their whole leg from the heel first then you will see the difference.
Most of the customs that we have/beliefs are originated with a reason. just we feel it is a burden, we need a reason.

for example, the three days a lady gets to sit outside/separate, is they wanted to give the lady rest. those were the days of heavy jobs, pounding rice, everything was hard, and moreover we were in joint families and this gave a reason for the ladies in the house to get complete rest. (the actual idea behind is really comendable. but in today's fast world where do we have the time to get rest. we get irritated by being left out...staying away from others......)

regarding pathu, yechhal, i feel it again towards hygeine and also in those days there was no fridge. if a spot of sambhar falls into milk, the milk would spoil.
that is why milk, papads, and certain dishes are not allowed to be prepared on the same stove. (we follow it even today)

regarding pickles,and certain dishes not to be touched during periods could have a valid reason. during our periods our body temperature differs. (I have personally got the opportunity to touch a plant i dont remember the name, which just shrinks and rarely survives if you touch it during your periods. it was shown to me by a scientist in a tea/rubber reasearch institute.)

sunikris, poppu dabba has all the 8/7 ingredients, all small things. if kept on top, in a hurry if it slips out of your hand/by any accident, it will all get mixed, to separate is a little difficult issue.
When cooking, there is a little amount of grease, so to avoid it spoiling the dabbas i think we are asked not to touch with frying hands.

Don't eat at dusk, when you are lighting the deepam. it was because, of the same problem of insects getting into the food.

My daughter does not like to do yechhal(that is cleaning after we all eat..the table/the floor) In olden days it was a mud floor, when you do yecchal with little cowdung, and water, it would have helped in removing all the food remainings that could attract ants and other insects, and also the dried rice will poke your legs oouch. Now we do it with a pinch of turmeric. turmeric acts as an antiseptic. to clean whatever has dropped on the table/floor is good habit.

there is a reasoning for everything. Today we have grown up finding out reasons for everything. we understand there is a logic/reasoning so will not accept things as it is said/given. so will our kids be....

But I feel we should not curb the curiosity of our children. so il's let us discuss this, more in detail and let us have answers ready for our kids who don't want to follow blindly.....:yes:

 

Re: Do you know why?

WOW Shanvy Really a very good logical reasoning.Cleaning dining table with lil turmeric is a very good point.Liked it!.
Thank You for Sharing.

 

hi kavta,

You are welcome..I completely forgot about this thread..because after that there was not interest in anybody....

 

hello

some call it old wives tales...?
never mind whatever it is called
some have become obsolete
and some still hold good
nail biting they called it echal
but the dirt thats there in the nail
could get in...!
dont cut nail in the night...
because who knows where it went a flying?
to eat at dust...theres narasimha to example...!
its basically because you wont be hungry for dinner
and if you dont eat because you dont feel hungry at dinner time
you might feel very hungry later in the night
the greens nellikai etc were avoided
as these can avoid constipation
and sometimes cause loose motions
and the loo was faaar faaaaar away
with no lights etc...

the list is endless
we shall pick the ones that suit us today....!

sathya