The science behind ear piercing and other traditional beliefs | The Times of India (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind ear piercing? ›

Ear piercing at an early age in kids is said to ensure proper brain development. The ear lobes have the meridian point that connects the right hemisphere to the left hemisphere of the brain. Piercing of this point helps activate these parts of the brain.

However, the science behind this ritual is that it is believed that piercing the ears helps in the development of intellect, the power of thinking and decision-making. In Ayurveda, the earlobe is considered as the microcosm of the human body and therefore, ear-piercing might also deliver numerous therapeutic benefits.

It's Also A Religious Tradition

According to BabyCenter, the karna vedha sanskar is a Hindu tradition practiced in India, which requires piercing a baby's ears. The baby's ears are pierced early, either in their first or third year of life. Some also wait until the first haircut (performed during the Mundan ceremony).

The ear piecing ceremony is a ritual performed by all Hindus, irrespective of caste and gender. For girl child the first ear pierced is the left ear. Earlier the ritual was also performed on the male child in many Hindu communities. This tradition is even now continued by many communities.

For many women, especially in India, nose piercings are a coming-of-age ritual of sorts. It signifies womanhood, elegance, and for some even a sense of rebellion. In Indian nose piercing is as much a part of tradition as bangles, a mangalsutra or a bindi.

Ultimately, much of the Christian debate around body piercing, tattoos, and other modifications boils down to personal interpretation of scripture and concepts. Some see piercings as self-expression and not “marking your body,” whereas others see piercing as a sin that goes against the Bible's teachings.

To this day, in many Latin American, Indian, African, and Middle Eastern cultures, ear piercing is not a choice, it is a given. In various Native American cultures in the United States, piercing is a long-standing tradition and an important element in religious ceremonies to inspire powerful visions.

Sikhs must not have their head bare or wear caps. They also cannot wear any ornaments piercing through any part of the body.

This ritual of self-sacrifice, and the trancelike state devotees enter into when their skin is being pierced, is intended to defeat inner demons and gain Lord Murugan's blessing.

Jewelry helps in enhancing one's beauty. It also symbolizes wealth, power, and status.

What culture pierces ears at birth? ›

In Puerto Rican culture, many parents pierce their children's ears shortly after they're born. It was often a rite of passage, and being without my own pair seemed to confuse some people.

Aztec and Mayan men are traditionally known to have had stretched ears. The Aztecs crafted plugs from gold and silver for the higher-class men whereas the lower class wore materials such as shells, wood, and copper. The same idea can be seen with the Mayas.

Nose piercing is a significant practice embraced by the Indian woman. Having a pierced nose has been a sacred ceremony in the Hindu religion. The tradition of wearing nose rings has been based on certain principles present in the Indian culture.

Sikhism generally forbids any method of piercing of the body for any reason, but especially for the sake of adornment or fashion, and wearing of jewelry. Dyeing the hair and beard, or coloring it with henna, are considered a major infraction, and cause for penance and penalty, or reinstatement of initiation.

In India, wearing earrings had spiritual meanings associated with it. For example, Gautam Buddha had big earlobes, and wearing earrings was considered a spiritual awakening. Also, as per Karnavedha Hindu children, both males and females had to wear earrings after turning 3 or 5.

Among Hindus, nose piercing is usually done around 16 years of age, when girls were traditionally considered ready for marriage.

“Nose piercing is acceptable for those of Indian origin such as Indian Muslims. However, for those whose cultures do not practice nose piercing, it is haram,” it read.

Indians on average had a mesorrhine nose as compared to Caucasians and Orientals who have a leptorrhine nose and Africans who have a platyrrhine nose. We thus conclude that the Indian nose should be considered a different entity in comparison to the nose of Caucasian, Oriental, and African populations.

The Bible never specifically addresses whether or not piercings are sinful. However, while the Israelites were forbidden from mutilating their bodies, piercings were a common practice both before and after the implementation of Levitical law.

The Bible warns against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 (Amplified) which says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”

Why are Catholics against piercings? ›

A. The Catholic Church has no fixed position on body piercing. The church does, of course, prohibit mutilation (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2297), but that really means altering the functioning of a body part, for example, plucking out an eye or cutting off a finger.

The oldest mummy ever discovered in Egypt had ear piercings. Ancient African civilizations had customs of piercing lips and tongue. In fact, the earliest evidence of facial piercing was discovered in 2020 in the skeleton of a man who lived about 12,000 years ago.

Ear piercing in children has been around for centuries as part of ritualistic and cultural traditions but has continued to become a worldwide mainstream fashion statement. It is extremely common in Nigeria, India, Brazil and Hispanic countries.

In certain Hindu traditions, ear lobe piercing, also known as Karnvedh Sanskar, is an important event for a male child. In many Hindu groups, the ceremony used to be rigorously done on the male child. This custom is being carried on in many communities today. The right ear is the first to be pierced in a male child.

These 19th century depictions of the 1st and 6th Gurus depict the Guru wearing the hooped style of earring that the 10th Guru wore, whereas the Jogis wearing mundra - a flattened, crescent style earring. The mundra signifies asceticism whereas the Guru's earring denotes royalty.

The SGPC has warned those who plan to get a tattoo of Sikh religious symbols or Gurbani verses on any part of their body. Akal Takht has already put a blanket ban on Sikh religious tattooing and pronounced an edict in June.

Traditionally, wearing a nose piercing is an indication that you are married, though many unmarried young women ignore the tradition and wear them any way.

It's an important custom in Hinduism, as the ritual of shaving one's head allows you to be closer to God, demonstrating a total submission, whereby all of your arrogance and vanity has been removed. The final ceremonial haircut takes place when a family member dies.

In Hindu culture, people greet each other by joining their palms – termed as “Namaste.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect.

In Hinduism and generally in India, people avoid cutting their hair on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, due to several reasons. It is a tradition that has been in practice since the ancient days.

Why is jewelry so important to Indian culture? ›

Traditional Indian Jewellery has a recognition of its own. Jewellery, in general, enhances one's beauty. In Indian culture, the jewellery that women wear, signifies their status, wealth, and status, in the society. The history of Traditional Indian Jewellery is as old as Indian History!

Indian earrings Jhumka

Jhumka is the Indian word or term that is used to name the most traditional earrings in India.

Apart from its talismanic role, jewellery was also a proclamation of power, prosperity and prestige, inextricably linked with masculinity and virility. Precious stones had symbolic and religious meanings and the more opulent and ostentatious the jewellery, the more powerful the man who wore it.

Ancient Sumerian women's earrings are the earliest earrings archaeologists have discovered—they date from perhaps 2500 B.C.E. and are typically gold hoops. Earrings of twisted wire, beads, and pendants were popular in the Aegean, Crete, and Cyprus.

Ear piercing is ingrained in Spanish culture and a tradition when it comes to baby girls: in the olden days, nuns would pierce the ears of newborn girls before they even left the hospital; a traditional first gift from grandparents is a set of gold studs.

In the United States, ear piercing was used as a form of punishment for slaves. In the 1800s, slaves were often forced to wear rings in their ears to show their status. In the early 1900s, ear piercing became more popular among women as a way to show their beauty.

The earlobe also shows a variety of characteristics in different populations. The attached earlobe was found in more than 50–56% in the subjects of the present study; however, Singh and Purkait (2009) observed 19–24% in Central Indian population and Farkas (1978) reported 2–3% in Americans.

Various tribes in Africa and the Americas are known to have stretched their ears as well. Depending on the tribe, the practice of stretching ears was to flaunt wealth and status, enhance beauty, or for ceremonial reasons.

Many Native American and Alaskan tribes practiced septum piercing. It was popular among the Aztecs, the Mayans and the tribes of New Guinea, who adorned their pierced noses with bones and feathers to symbolize wealth and (among men) virility.

It Promotes Better Auditory Health

According to Ayurveda, the specific part where the ear is pierced is also the point where two essential points of acupressure can be found. These are the master cerebral and master sensorial. These two points are key players to maintain a child's hearing.

What are the 3 dangers of piercings? ›

His research shows that by piercing certain parts of the ear, it stimulates the surrounding nerve areas. In certain cases, this sends a flow of energy through the body which helps alleviate types of pain and regulates the body's functions and internal organs according to lifemaghealth.com.

Besides purely superficial considerations, tattoos and piercings can also have a deep, personal meaning. For example, they can mark and support the emotional processing of significant life events, including formative experiences from early childhood.

A daith piercing is located in the innermost fold of your ear. Some people believe that this piercing can help ease anxiety-related migraines and other symptoms. Although the evidence is primarily anecdotal, there's some research around the piercing's proposed mechanism of action.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a saying recited by men that helped them decide which ear to pierce. “Left is right, right is wrong.” The meaning behind this phrase is that men who pierce their left ears are heterosexual, and men who pierce their right ears are hom*osexual.

It can be bad to wear earrings 24/7. It is advisable to take your favourite earrings off from time to time to let your ears “breathe”. The reason behind this is that your earrings could trap dirt and bacteria (or shampoo) if you leave them on 24/7, which can lead to infections.

“The most dangerous piercings are the ones that involve cartilage, like higher ear piercings,” says Tracy Burton, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ontario. “These piercings are associated with poor healing because of the limited blood supply to the area.

All jewelry has weight and moves. Rings however will move a lot more than the alternatives and generally weigh more too. These combined factors are the reasons why piercings with rings don't usually heal as easy or as well as they might with barbells.

Stacked Lobes. Vertical Stacks. Forward Helix. Snakebite (Yes, for Your Ears)

Between 80-90 percent of American women have their ears pierced, and men are also joining the ear-piercing ranks.

Why do guys wear earrings in right ear? ›

A piercing on the right ear indicated that a man should be spared from dangerous labour when possible, because he had mouths to feed. While earrings made of precious metals and stones were still popular among the nobility of medieval Italy's coastal regions, in the north, it was a sign of servitude.

Piercings can interrupt the flow of energy, especially along the middle meridian, where the navel is located.

Tattooing and body piercing together have been linked to an increased likelihood of “sensation-seeking” behavior. Abusive backgrounds, mental illnesses, and suicidal ideation are more frequent among people with body modifications like tattoos and piercings than in those without them.

The brain goes through a unique process throughout the piercing procedure. When your body goes through an intense physical stressor or pain, the brain releases endorphins. These endorphins interact with the body's pain receptors and activate the bodies opiate receptors.