Scientific reasons behind Indian Traditions | Fusion - WeRIndia

Scientific reasons behind Indian Traditions

Indian Traditions

Believe it or not, not every tradition is a superstition. Some ancient Indian traditions have excellent scientific reasons behind them. Many people might dismiss all our traditions as superstitions. But, know the reasons behind some of the traditions before doing so.

You are not allowed to sleep by keeping your head towards north. The logic behind this belief is that the human body acts like a magnet with the head being its north pole. At the same time, the north poles of body and earth repel each other which may affect the blood circulation.

You might have heard that not to go outside during an eclipse and see the eclipse with a naked eye. Nor are you permitted to cook or consume food during this time. In some regions, basil leaves are kept in the food to prevent them from being destroyed. The reason behind this is that watching the eclipse can affect the eyes. During the eclipse, microbes are more active and they might be able to spoil food. That’s why basil leaves are kept in the food to protect against them.

Not to go near a peepal tree at night. During nights, the trees release more carbon dioxide than at daylight as they cannot perform photosynthesis at nights.


Bathing after a funeral ceremony relieves the persons who attend it from bacteria and other decomposing germs that are associated with dead bodies. Hence, it is a good tradition to take bath before they touch anyone else.

Eating curd and honey before starting a journey is considered as lucky. The reason behind this tradition is the calcium and natural sugars of the ingredients relieve stress and cool the body.

Opening umbrellas outside the house is due to their sharp metal spokes of umbrella that can hurt people nearby in those days.

Chewing basil leaves is not recommended due to its high amounts of mercury which can damage teeth when they came into contact. Hence, basil leaves are allowed to swallow but not chew.

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