THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE IN HINDUISM

The impacts of globalisation and subsequent westernisation have been extremely influential over India, calling many of their religious practices into question due to the non-western and non-modernised values they project. This has caused evolutionary change to gradually alter the way in which Hinduism is practiced and viewed throughout India. Although changes have been gradual, time has the ability to alter the meaning, significance, appropriateness and purpose of longstanding religious customs and traditions. As most religions are justified on the building blocks of traditions, customs and ritual it is natural that there would be resistance to these changes occurring within Hinduisms core values and structure. An example of this is the illegalisation of dowries as in the Dowries Prohibition Act 1961. This legal change was made in response to the extreme dowry related violence occurring against women, with Sky News stating in 2013 that one woman every hour died due to issues related to dowries. However, as dowries are a deeply ingrained tradition in Indian society and marriages and the law was not well enforced or accessible, the tradition still continued in many cases. This illustrates how legislative changes made to illegalise traditions now considered to not reflect the values of a society as they cause undue harm and danger can be disregarded, especially in rural areas where the effects of modernisation and subsequent globalisation and westernisation are much less powerful. This can occur as cultural traditions are highly valued and hold religious esteem making people willing to break the law for the sake of continuity or their beliefs and customs.