The majority of Hindus are lacto-vegetarian (avoiding meat and eggs), although some may eat lamb, chicken or fish. Beef is always avoided because the cow is considered a holy animal, but dairy products are eaten. Animal-derived fats such as lard and dripping are not permitted.
Hindus, who make up about 80 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people, are not prohibited from eating pork, but many consider the meat impure and this has made restaurants wary about putting it on their menus.
2.21) forbids the eating of either cow or bull, a revered ancient Hindu sage named Yajnavalkya immediately contradicts it, saying that, nevertheless, he eats the meat of both cow and bull, “as long as it's tender.”
However, a lot of Hindus believe that eggs are a form of meat and therefore eschew them. They are called “pure” vegetarians because of the fact that along with not eating meat they also do not eat eggs.
The Jain cuisine is completely lacto-vegetarian and also excludes root and underground vegetables such as potato, garlic, onion etc., to prevent injuring small insects and microorganisms; and also to prevent the entire plant getting uprooted and killed. It is practised by Jain ascetics and lay Jains.
However, Jainism is very much a religion in its own right and its followers have to keep a strict code of conduct especially when it comes to diet. Jains are strict vegetarians but also do not eat root vegetables and some types of fruits.
But, Most Hindus Are Not Vegetarian
There, roughly, two-thirds to three-quarters of people do not eat meat—representing not just Hindus, but also large concentrations of Jains and Sikhs, who also have strong traditions of vegetarianism. However, in the south and east of India, a tiny minority of people are vegetarian.
The cow, a revered animal in Hinduism
It represents Mother Earth, as it is a source of goodness and its milk nourishes all creatures. Krishna, a central Hindu deity, is often portrayed in stories recounting his life as a cowherd and referring to him as the child who protects cows.
Eggs. Jains abstain from eating eggs. Many Hindu and Orthodox Sikh vegetarians also refrain from eating eggs.
In verses 3.267 to 3.272, Manusmriti approves of fish and meats of deer, antelope, poultry, goat, sheep, rabbit and others as part of sacrificial food. However, Manusmriti is a law book, not a spiritual one. So it permits to eat meat but it doesn't promote it.
Hinduism has monotheistic (one God) as well as polytheistic (many Gods) elements: the one Ultimate Reality or Supreme Being (Brahman) also exists simultaneously in the deities of the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva).
It can be punished with 7 years' jail and a fine of up to Rs 10,000. 2.21) condemns the consumption of beef from cows and oxen as a sin. Contrary to belief, most Hindus are not vegetarian.
The Hindu religion does not excuse accidental consumption of meat products. One who commits the religious violation of eating meat, knowingly or unknowingly, is required to participate in a religious ceremony at a site located along the Ganges River in Haridwar, Uttranchal, India, to purify himself.
For example, Hindu texts often praise vegetarianism, and Hindus may also avoid eating beef because cows are traditionally viewed as sacred. Muslim teachings, meanwhile, prohibit pork.
Though the majority of Indians are Hindu, millions of people still celebrate Christmas in India (called Bada Din, meaning “big day”).
Cattle are considered sacred in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and in African paganism. Cattle played other major roles in many religions, including those of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Israel, ancient Rome.
Religion, Belief, and Customs
All Hindu informants referred to pigs as deities. They considered pigs to be sacred animals to be raised and worshiped. According to pig raisers, in the Hindu religion, slaughtering pigs is considered the best offering to satisfy God while performing religious rituals (puja).
The main attraction of Kandhen Budhi Yatra is Ghusuri Puja. Ghusuri means a child pig, which is sacrificed to the goddess every three years. During the Bali Jatra, male goats are offered as a sacrifice to the goddess Samaleswari in her temple in Sambalpur, Odisha.
However, Hinduism discourages non-medical circumcision, as according to them, the body is made by the almighty God, and nobody has right to alter it without the concern of the person who is going for it. Certain Hindu gurus consider it to be directly against nature and God's design. Sikh infants are not circumcised.
Hinduism is rich in scripture, but does not have a 'Bible' in terms of one central, authoritative book. Hindu scripture is an extensive collection of ancient religious writings which expound upon eternal Truths that have been revealed by the Ultimate Reality and realized by the ancient sages and enlightened wise men.
Indian religions
Hindu men frequently wear short coats (angarkha), and the women wear a long scarf, or robe (sari), whereas typical Muslim attire for men and women is a long white cotton shirt (kurtah) and trousers (pāʾijamah).
In recognition of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, Conservative and Orthodox Jews "will not eat roast lamb or any roasted meat at Passover because of the bitter memory that the Temple sacrifices are no longer possible," Joan Nathan writes in The Jewish Holiday Kitchen.
However, Catholics do not eat chocolate during the month of lent. Chocolate is among the foods that Catholics avoid during the month of Lent in order to unite themselves more closely to Jesus in the desert.
Both Judaism and Islam have prohibited eating pork and its products for thousands of years. Scholars have proposed several reasons for the ban to which both religions almost totally adhere. Pork, and the refusal to eat it, possesses powerful cultural baggage for Jews.