Indian Etiquette Culture

I. Social Customs

The general characteristics of Indian social customs can be summarized in a few sentences:  

India has a large population Many castes, many regulations for different religions;

Diverse ethnic groups with many beliefs, generally steady personalities;   
Green is auspicious and preferred, white is sorrowful and mostly avoided;  
Emphasis on politeness with many honorifics, great attention paid to etiquette;  
Many types of food are avoided, many prohibitions in social interactions;  

In daily life, there are the following characteristics:

Among Hindus, there are social groups divided into different levels, which can be translated as "caste". That is, people are divided into four different levels; The 'Brahmin' is the first caste, with the highest status; The 'Kshatriya' is the second caste, with slightly lower status; The 'Vaishya' are commoners, the third caste; The 'Shudra' are the so-called untouchables, the fourth caste, with the lowest status. Each of their castes has its own moral norms and customs. Beyond the four major castes, there is also an excluded group of 'untouchables', known as 'Harijans'. They are the most discriminated people. When Hindus welcome distinguished guests, the host presents a garland to the guest and personally places it around the guest's neck. The size of the garland depends on the guest's status. Garlands presented to distinguished guests are usually large and extend below the knees; garlands for ordinary guests only reach the chest. The lotus is India's national flower and is highly favored by the Indian people. It is also praised as the 'gentleman among flowers'. Indians generally love green, considering it an auspicious color that symbolizes spring and new life. Traditionally, Indian women like to place a finger-sized circular bindi in the center of their forehead, which people call an 'auspicious mark'. Their colors vary, as do their shapes; they can be red, yellow, purple, or green. Black bindis exist but are less common, and are generally chosen according to the color of the clothing;

Indians greatly revere blue peacocks and regard them as symbols of auspiciousness, good fortune, and happiness. India is a country that highly respects cattle; Hindus regard cows as sacred deities. According to their customs, before every meal, they first show respect to cows. Some also revere dogs, snakes, rats, and so on. Their body language is rich, but the meanings conveyed by some gestures differ greatly from ours. For example, to indicate agreement, they always tilt their head slightly to the left and then immediately return it to its original position; to indicate disagreement, they nod instead;

II. Etiquette and Manners

Indian greetings include pressing palms together, raising a hand to signal, embracing, touching feet, and kissing feet. Generally, when both hands are free, they utter a respectful phrase "Namaste", while performing the Namaste gesture. The height of the folded palms: for superiors, it should be higher, with both hands at least level with the forehead; for juniors, it should be lower, reaching the chest; for peers, it should be level, with hands between the chest and chin. If one hand is holding something, one should say 'Namaste' while raising the right hand to salute. For elders, or when showing supplication to someone, the foot-touching ritual is performed (i.e., touching the elder's feet with one's hand, then touching one's own head with the same hand, to symbolize one's head making contact with the elder's feet). Touching the heel and kissing the feet are India's highest forms of etiquette. When people from some ethnic minorities in Southeast India meet guests, they tightly press their nose and mouth against the guest's cheek, and inhale deeply, while muttering: 'Smell me!', to show their reverence for the guest. The Sentinelese people on India's Andaman Islands, upon reuniting with long-lost close friends, alternately sit on each other's laps and warmly embrace for several minutes, to express the joy of their reunion. Indian Muslims' greeting etiquette follows their traditional religious manner: placing the right hand on the chest, nodding, and saying 'God bless you'. Nowadays, Indian men in social settings have also started to use handshakes, but Indian women generally do not shake hands with men, except on significant diplomatic occasions;

General Etiquette  

Orthodox Sikh believers wear turbans, do not smoke, do not eat beef, and do not cut their hair;

One should remove shoes when entering an Indian home;  

Titles and Greetings: When meeting and parting, men shake hands with men. If introduced to a woman, a man should not shake her hand but should put his palms together and bow slightly. Men cannot touch women, and should not speak to single women in public;

When arriving at an Indian home, the host may present you with a garland; you should immediately remove it to show humility;

Hindus do not eat beef. Cows are sacred animals in India;

Muslims do not eat pork; devout Muslims do not consume alcohol;  

When receiving or passing food, always use your right hand;

When visiting, you can bring fruits and sweets as gifts, or give small gifts to the host's children;

Indians like to talk about their cultural achievements, Indian traditions, and information about other ethnic groups and foreign countries;

Do not discuss personal private matters, India's poverty, military spending, or large amounts of foreign aid;

III. Beliefs and Taboos

Most Indians believe in Hinduism, while a small portion follow Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and so on. They avoid white, believing it represents inner sorrow, and are accustomed to using lilies as mourning items. They avoid crescent moon patterns. They consider 1, 3, and 7 as unlucky numbers, and therefore always try to avoid their appearance. They avoid passing things or food with their left hand, and do not wish to see anyone use both hands when interacting with them. Hindus most strongly avoid multiple people eating from the same plate, and do not eat food that others have touched. Even a teacup cleaned by others must be re-washed by themselves before use. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork. They also avoid using pork products. Because Indians revere cows as divine, they also prohibit eating beef.

Flying insects and the like are all listed as items that must not be mistakenly harmed, even the radishes and carrots grown in the fields are forbidden to eat. Residents of Assam, India, are extremely unhappy if visitors do not accept or taste the betel nuts they offer, considering it unfriendly and distrustful of the host. Sikhs in India are forbidden from smoking. Indians do not like to eat mushrooms, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, gluten, or roasted husband, nor do they like dishes that are stir-fried over a high heat.

Common taboos include: When sleeping, one cannot face north with their feet pointing south, it is said that the King of Hell lives in the south; it is taboo to talk about snakes at night; it is taboo to bake cakes during festivals or celebrations; babies are forbidden from looking in mirrors, otherwise they will become mute; while the father is alive, the son is forbidden from wrapping his head in a headscarf or shaving his head; 3 and 13 are taboo numbers, because Shiva has 3 eyes, the third eye is destructive, and 13 is because there is a 13-day mourning period after a person dies; women are forbidden from making clothes or taking photos during pregnancy; it is forbidden to hand things over with the left hand.

  Indians are very taboo about using their left hand to pass items, believing that the left hand is dirty and lowly. They don't like others touching their children's heads, and it's especially noteworthy that when Indians express agreement or affirmation, they don't shake their heads "no" and nod "yes" like we do, but instead shake their heads, or slightly tilt their heads to the left before immediately returning to their original position to indicate "yes".

  Whistling is taboo in India, especially for women. In service industries such as restaurants and shops, if someone uses whistling to call a waiter, it is considered an offensive act that insults the other person's dignity.

  The head is the most sacred part of an Indian's body, so travelers should not touch their heads directly. Never pat an Indian child on the head, as Indians believe this will harm the child.

  Even at a friend's house, do not praise the child, many Indians believe that this kind of praise will attract the attention of evil spirits.

  When doing business in India, it is important to note that Indians generally do not conduct business activities during holidays. When talking to Indians, never mention their wives and children. They like to talk about the achievements of their ancient culture and the contributions of their culture to human civilization, as well as foreign affairs and the lives of foreigners.