traditions

Widowhood: - In those days, a widow faced more social pressures, and tortures, that were unbearable, due to lack of knowledge. These rules were not made to suppress the woman, but to safeguard them. In fact women were always considered, and even now are considered as adishakti, jaganmata. The reason was that, in those days first of all child marriage was prevalent, and on the other side, contagious diseases were also there, and many more reasons. A widow was considered as an outcast or a cursed one and did not have any liberty to involve her directly in any holy matters. The main reasons to these rule was that, in Hindu religion, multiple marriages are not there, but has been accepted since few decades. Another reason was that in those days couples already had multiple children, and if a widow married again, can lead to many more children, and a control on population could not be done effectively.
A widow was asked to tonsure her head, no make-ups, and white Saree. This was the general attire that were enforces on a widow. By this, the girl, or the women did look ugly and horrible (to herself and also to her onlookers), and should not attract lustful men towards her. In this was a woman was protected. This was like a blessing in disguise. Though the treatments were harsh, the end result was that she was protected, although the lack of this meaning in a few people lead to disastrous suicides and reformation was needed. Reformation was needed badly not is starting widow remarriage, but in her protection. Also in those days kidnapping were very prevalent, so if a widow was made to look ugly, at least some kidnapping could be averted. That was also one of the reasons. The social atrocities was meaningless, but they were considered as inauspicious, for the reason (reason unexplainable and many) being she lost her husband quickly (or that her coming caused death of her husband).
Now we are seeing another part of widowhood. A sigh of relief (from widowhood and its curses), or freedom in life, or remarriage. We are seeing another case as seen in the west that how often people marry and divorce and remarry. They have literally killed the meaning of the auspiciousness of a marriage and have made it a child’s play. We have to hope that this doesn’t become a curse for the human being. After all marriages are solemnized in heaven and tie a knot here.


Not to go out during the nights of no moon: People feared going on no moon nights. Those days were when, there were many people who were practicing black magic and using it to do bad. Also it’s believed that, in the nights of no-moon, negative energy is more powerful. Also that, on a no-moon day, there was no trace of light those days, as electrification was not fully done everywhere. There are also many cases recorded of many people struck by witch craft. So for these reasons people were advised not to go at night


Usage if lemon:- Lemon is used both for good purpose and for bad purpose. People in the past gave animal sacrifices to the deities. Later either because of the reason that the animal population reduced or that an alternate type of sacrifice was thought of. Not just lemon, along with it, either vermilion or any natural die that represented red color was used as alternate things of sacrifice. The pretatma or any such evil spirits like blood or blood colored dresses, or things that are red. So there are instances where people were attacked by the evil spirits when some people wore red dresses, or things that were red. So, blood of animals was sacrificed to appease them. Also it’s that, a lemon has the power of concentrating powers, either to do more negative or to negate the negative to do good. So lemon was used to appease the gods, or to put the negative powers to sleep. Similar to this is the use of pumpkin.