Abhivadana is a formal greeting. Abhivadana 'Salutation', a form of respectful greeting, made to elders, parents, gurus and friends. Culturally, abhivadana is a very important part of one's life. It is not only an expression of greeting, respect and friendship, but also indicates one's social status and upbringing. Unless one demonstrates the correct form of respect, one is considered ill-mannered, rude and arrogant. A well-bred person is expected to show respect to his elders, parents and especially to his guru. Abhivadana is performed differently by different castes . A Brahmin joins his palms before him at the level of his ears; a Kshatriya joins his hands before him at the level of his cheeks; a Vaishya joins his hands at the level of his waist; and a Shudra, at the level of his feet.

Abhivadana is performed on three kinds of occasions: every day, called nitya abhivadana; on certain specific occasions, called naimitika abhivadana; and if one wants a particular reward, called kamya abhivadana. Nitya abhivadana is performed by a student to his guru or elders. . Naimitika abhivadana is performed to one's guru or parents after returning from a journey. Kamya abhivadana is performed when a person desires something. It is believed that in return for one's respectful behaviour, one's desire will be granted.

. Namaskara: Literally 'adoration, homage'. This form of abhivadana involves joining one's palms and bowing slightly from the waist. This greeting was initially used only for images of gods, Brahmins, and ascetics, but today, along with its variation 'Namaste' or 'Pranam', it is the common greeting of all Hindus.

Shashtanga is the most reverentialand solemn form of greeting. Abhivadanalies flat on the ground on his stomach, with his arms extended beyond his head, and then clasps the feet of the person being greeted. It is called Shashtanga because six parts of the body touch the ground: the feet, knees, stomach, chest, forehead, and arms. Shashtanga is not very widely performed. More popular in south India, it is reserved for special occasions for one's guru, father, or for Brahmins, or when asking for forgiveness.

Upanayanam or the thread ceremonymarks the beginning of studenthood. Upanayanam Literally 'leading or taking near'. It also means 'introducing the novice to the stage of studenthood'. Upanayanam or the thread ceremony is the sanskara performed to mark the beginning of studenthood or Brahmacharya ashram for a Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaishya boy, to formalise his eligibility to read and study the sacred books. Prior to the ceremony, a child of any caste is considered 'once-born' or a Shudra. With the performance of the Upanayanam, he becomes 'twice-born'. or dvija. This initiation rite marks his second, spiritual birth after his first physical one, for not only is he now admitted to the privileges of his caste and into society in general, but also embarks on adolescence. A muhurta is selected for the performance of the ceremony. Different seasons are considered auspicious for different castes. For example, the Upanayanam of a Brahmin is performed in the spring, of a Kshatriya in the summer, and of a Vaishya in the autumn. The child spends the night before the actual ceremony in isolation and absolute silence, preparing for his second birth. This is symbolic of being in the womb again. The next morning, the mother and child eat together for the last time. If the Chudakarana has not already been performed, it is now done. The child is then bathed and, adorned in a loin cloth, is taken to the guru. The guru accepts him and offers him a mantle to cover his upper body. Since every Hindu is required to cover his upper body during religious ceremonies, this symbolises the beginning of a religious life for the child. The guru then ties a girdle around the waist of the student. This is supposed to support the loin cloth, to protect his purity and chastity.
 

While reciting mantras, the guru places the thread over the boy's neck, so that it hangs across his chest from his left shoulder. Bestowing the sacred thread has not been mentioned in the Sutras at all. The thread consists of nine strands, which are three long threads, each folded thrice, represents the three qualities from which the universe evolved: passion, representing Brahma; reality, representing Vishnu ; and darkness, representing Shiva. The three folds in the thread also remind the wearer of the three debts he owes: to the gods, to the sages, and to his ancestors.d from the mantle and the girdle.This is then knotted, with each knot marking a distinguished ancestor. Upanayanamrepresents one of the four states that the soul of a man experiences: waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep and knowledge of the absolute
 

After bestowing the thread, the guru gives the pupil a staff, symbolising the beginning of a long journey to perfection. With this, the student is fully equipped with the necessities of student life. Then the guru fills his cupped hands with water, which he sprinkles on the pupil, to cleanse and purify him. He touches the heart of the student, symbolising harmony, sympathy, and wholehearted communion between the two. In the climactic 'Brahmopadesham',the guru whispers the sacred GayatriMantra into his pupil's ear.This is the climax of the ceremony and takes place with the guru, the student and his father huddled secretively under a cloth, to prevent unfit people from hearing the mantra. The ceremony concludes with pradakshina. The pupil now collects alms for food, for as a student he must live on the town's charity and later repay his debt to society by giving alms himself to other students when he graduates to being a householder. Upanayanam for a Brahmin should be performed when the child is eight years old; for a Kshatriya at the age of 11; and for a Vaishya, at 12. For a Brahmin, the Upanayanam could be performed any time until the age of 16; for a Kshatriya, until 22; and for a Vaishya, 24. The Upanayanam is an ancient ceremony, preceding the Aryan arrival in India. Any child seeking an education came to a guru, who took charge of him. The guru symbolically bore the child as an embryo within himself. He placed his hand on the child's right shoulder. . At the time of the Upanishads ( 600 - 400 BC), the Upanayanam became compulsory because, the importance of education was recognised by then. It became an insignia for an individual. Anyone who did not undergo the Upanayanam was not considered 'twice-born' and therefore could not participate in any social rituals. This belief continued to be held, and it is largely for this reason that the Upanayanam is performed even today. Without it, it is widely believed that a man cannot be married.

. In time, the Upanayanam lost its original significance. Initially supposed to mark the beginning of a child's studenthood, it became a process of initiation into one's caste. The Upanayanam of the sacred thread, once a minor aspect, became the main purpose of the ceremony, as the thread was the identification of a 'twice-born' Hindu. Today, the Upanayanam has become a mere formality for most Hindus. Once again the sacred thread is bestowed and token alms are collected.

The marriage ceremony. Vivaha Literally 'taking the girl away in a special way or for a special purpose, like making her one's wife'. Vivaha or the marriage ceremony is one of the oldest and most important rites of passage . Kanyadana or giving away one's daughter in marriage, was considered the greatest sacrifice a man could perform. It was also a sacrifice performed by the bridegroom to perpetuate his vansha or lineage and thus fulfil his debts to his pitras . As the concept of rebirth became more important. The funeral rites and Shradha which ensured one's place in heaven and eventual salvation could only be performed by one's sons. And so the importance of marriage as a means to this end. By making marriage a sacrament, the Hindus elevated physical union to spiritual dimensions.

A day before the wedding, a paste of hennaor mehendi is applied in decorative designs to the hands and feet of the bride. A Hindu wedding prescribes a ritual function for all important family relationships. Thus, scattered relatives gather for any wedding in the family to perform their roles. A muhurta is chosen even today by the time of the year and the horoscopes of the bride and groom.

A canopy or mandapa is erected at the marriage venue (mandapkarana) on the day of the wedding, within which the ceremony is conducted. On the wedding morning, various ablutionary rituals are performed on both the bride and the groom in their own homes..

Amavasya : The new moon night, when the moon is not visible. It is the first night of the first quarter on which the moon is invisible. There are various superstitions associated with Amavasya, one of the most common being that one should not go out on the Amavasya night for fear of ill-luck.Amrita : The nectar of immortality. It emerged from the samudra manthan.

Diwali : Celebrated in the month of Kartik, this festival marks the return of Rama to Ayodhya, after killing the demon king Ravana (See Ramayana). It is celebrated all over India, with the lighting of oil lamps and candles and the bursting of fire-crackers.. Durga puja, the worship of Durga, is the most important festival in Bengal.Durga Puja : It is a festival celebrated in honour of Durga in the month of Ashvin. It is a four day festival when the idol of the goddess is worshipped. At the end of four days, the goddess is given a ceremonial farewell and the idol is immersed into a river or a lake. This festival is very popular in Bengal. In the other parts of the country, it is celebrated either as Dushehra or Navaratri.Dushehra : A 10-day festival, celebrated in the month of Ashvin. One of the most important Hindu festivals, it is celebrated to

.Ganesha Chaturthi : A festival celebrated on the fourth day or 'chaturthi', of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadra to mark the birth of Ganesha. It is considered unlucky to look at the moon on this night. Ganesha once fell off his rat and the moon laughed at him. This annoyed the deity and he cursed the moon, saying that ill-luck would befall anyone who looked at the moon on that night. Ganesha Chaturthi is particularly popular in Maharashtra where its observance was revived early in this century by the nationalist leader, Lok Manya Tilak. Clay images of Ganesha are brought home and worshipped everyday for 10 days. On the 10th day, the images are taken in a great procession, accompanied by people singing

Onam : A harvest festival of Kerala celebrated in the month of Bhadra for four days. According to a legend, Onam is celebrated to welcome the spirit of the pious king Bali and to assure him that his people are happy. (See also Vishnu) A pretty custom particular to Onam is the creation of mandalas with flower petals. Exciting 'snake boat' races are held during Onam in Kerala's many waterways, especially at Aranmula.