Vaani Chavan, Devika, and Sinchana
Class 8, Swami Vivekananda Rural English School, Chandapura, Karnataka
Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the cultivation of a scientific outlook when our constitution was being prepared. Even then, many cultural practices continue in our country. Very often, we children are told to do or not do several things, without ever being told why. Sometimes, When we ask our elders why, they gives us responses that sound illogical.
Hence, as part of our research, we explored ten practices rooted in culture and religion and uncovered the science behind them. For example: Is it true that a Peepal Tree is an abode of ghosts or are we meant to stay away because of it exhaling carbon di-oxide at night?
Our surroundings affect our lives in various ways – the natural elements and human life are deeply intertwined. We conducted both primary and secondary research.
We identified ten practices that are commonly followed in the Headmaster Layout area in Chandapura to assess how natural elements in our world influence our behaviours, and how culture gently impacts it too. We researched online as well as through conversations with elders, the scientific basis for these practices.
Some of the beliefs we researched were:
- Not going near the peepal tree at night,
- Not drinking water along with our meals,
- Having a spoon of yogurt before doing something auspicious,and
- Sleeping with our heads pointed in the north direction.
We shared these findings with our classmates to make them aware of some of the scientific reasons for the same.
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