Common Hindu Customs
• Touching both cheeks after stepping on books or paper: This is done in order to ask God for forgiveness because these things are educational or Godly things.
• Eating with the right hand only: This is a common custom passed down the generations.
• Saying the words “Tum-a-Ley,” which means “forgive me God” if one sneezes prior to taking a trip.
• Praying at least once a day: a common Hindu custom
• Wearing the bhindi: A bhindi is a red dot that most women and some men put on their foreheads to show their devotion to Hinduism. It’s a sign of trust and belief in God. Another common name for the bhindi is “botu.”
Books on Hinduism:
• Mahabharatha—This is the story of two groups of cousins – the Pandavas (good) and the Kaurvavas (evil) and their fight over a kingdom in ancient India. The story is about the conflict between good and evil and the ultimate triumph of good.
• Ramayana—This is the story of the gods Rama and Sita and their conflict with the evil demon Ravana. Ravana kidnaps Sita and Rama saves her and defeats Ravana with the help of the monkey-god Hanuman and his army of man-like monkeys.
• The Bhagavad Gita—This is the transcript of the divine talk between the god Krishna and the god Arjun. In this book, Krishna is giving Arjun advice about life, the spirit, love and war. The talk takes place in the chariot of Arjun. Arjun, who is one of the five Pandavas, is about to enter the battlefield against Duryodhana, the leader of the evil Kauravas.
Websites on Hinduism
http://www.hinduism.co.za/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/9410/hindu1.html
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1415/indexd.html