Hindus And Hin-Don'ts Trivia Quiz

Answer: 30 or more

Hindus have a multitude of gods and goddesses that they may choose to worship. Just to list a few of them: Ganesha, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, Lakshmi, Brahma and Indra.

Hindus have a remarkable tolerance for a variety of gods and goddesses within the realm of those which fall into the category of Hinduism, thus allowing even members of the same family to worship different gods in the same household. The reason that this is so prevalent is simply because they believe that they are all representative of the same god or "energy source", and their personal favorite is nothing more than one aspect of the same god.

Answer: every 6 years

Hindus engage in their ritual bathing every 6 years at the ARDH KUMB MELAH festival where the waters of the Ganges and Jamuna rivers meet.

A closely related festival, the Kumbh Mela is a ritual bathing ceremony that is celebrated every three years, but since there are four different locations in which it is observed, that bathing ritual only occurs in the same river once every twelve years.

Answer: Black, white and red

Avoid wearing white, (reserved for funerals); black, (reserved for mourning) and red, (reserved for the bride herself). You do not want to "outshine" the bride, nor would you wish to be shown to be in mourning on such a joyous occasion.

Wear bright, happy colors, (other than red, of course!)

Answer: A leather jacket

Since most Hindus are vegetarians and prefer to avoid causing pain to animals, the gift of leather would be the most offensive to their sensibilities. When in doubt, simply ask the host what would be an appropriate gift to bring.

Answer: Brahma

According to Hindu beliefs, Brahma's job was to create all things, while the other two gods of the Hindu triumvirate (Vishnu and Shiva) are the preserver of the universe, and the destroyer of things in order to re-create them, respectively.

One of the many possible reasons given for Brahma's lack of current popularity may be because of the over-riding sentiment of Hindus that everything that COULD be created has already BEEN created.

Answer: True

Atheistic doctrines dominate Hindu schools such as Samkhya and Mimamsa. One argument presented is that the existence of god (Ishvara) cannot be proven, and thus cannot be admitted to exist. Samkhya argues that an unchanging God cannot be the the beginning point for a world that undergoes constant change.

Answer: True

This is true, although while not all Hindus are strict vegetarians, (some eat shellfish, chicken and other meats), the cow in Hindu society is typically viewed as a kind of caretaker as well as a type of "mother figure". Hindus honor the cow as a holy animal and revere it as a token of unselfish giving.

Beef, however, may be consumed in some of the northern parts of the country.

(There are approximately 3,600 slaughterhouses operating legally in India, for the slaughter of other animals, but an estimated 30,000+ illegal slaughterhouses are in operation as well.)

Answer: True

Brahmin are considered the middle men between the gods and man. Kshatriyas are considered to be the protectors of the people. Vaishyas are money lenders and cultivate land, while the Shudras duty is to the serve the higher castes. Finally, the Chandalas work in graveyards, cremation grounds, as animal butchers and in other undesirable types of labor.

Answer: That hand is used (with water) in place of toilet tissue

Not only is the left hand considered impure because of the practice of cleaning up after relieving oneself, shoes are also thought to be impure, especially if someone is physically touched by the shoes on the wearer's feet.

Answer: False

Absolutely NOT!

Never point with the index finger of the right hand. This is considered to be an extremely harsh gesture because that finger is considered to control a "super-charged" force of powerful and aggressive energy. This is believed to have the capability to cause damage to the recipient's nervous system. The whole hand may be used as an indicator, however. This is accomplished by holding the palm up and the thumb held in position alongside the forefinger.