Rites

Hinduism – the religion of the majority of the population penetrates the whole life of its adepts through a complex system of rituals and rites, everyday regulations, rules and bans. Despite the modernization that goes on in India all the above mentioned strongly influence the majority of the population as far as the mentality, behavior and values are concerned. A code of rituals and rules of conduct that are compulsory for every Indian of the Hinduistic religion are included  in the ancient Indian treatises called dharmashastra. The rites vary depending on the  caste, age and locality. For the members of the highest castes it was traditionally obligatory to pass four stages of life – the disciple-brahmachari, when one has to study (the first one); the head of the family grihastha, when one must marry and lead a socially useful life (the second one); vanaprastha – a hermit living in a forest in order to reach spiritual purification and to restrain passions (the third stage) and a sannyasi(n), (sunnyasee, sunnyasi) – an ascetic person giving up all the cares and burdens of this world (the fourth stage). There existed certain ceremonies and rites for every stage.

Vedic ceremony of 'holma', sacrifying oil burning. India. Calcutta. The Bengali. 1995.		Brahman performing a rite (puja) in clouds of smoke of burning camfora and other fargrances. India. Snatenkov V.		Morning worshiping of the statues of local deities in Roerich's museum in Naggar, Kullu valley. India. Kulu. The Indians. 2002.
"Dakshina" - ceremony of priests worshiping. India. Calcutta. The Bengali. 1995.		"Charak-puja" - ceremony of calendar cycle. India. The Indians.