On Friday Hindus flock to the temples to offer prayers. They make several different kind of offering. A banana and a half-coconut offering is the most typical. For a donation of $1.50 the devotee buys a banana and half a coconut which symbolize vasanas (human desires). The fruit is then offered to the gods as a petition to help them put aside vasanas- because the wise in heart try to live their temporal lives not controlled by physical desires nor swayed by the deception of the senses.
The red dot on a woman's forehead is a symbol of her marriage. A North Indian woman wears a red streak on the parting of her hair. An unmarried woman sometimes wears a black dot on her forehead, used to counteract the effect of the evil eye. If a pretty girl gets too many compliments, Indians feel that some kind of harm may come to her, so this dot repels evil influences. Modern young women match the dots on their foreheads with the colour of their saris.
The traditional greeting of Indians is made with palms together in the prayer position, hands raised to the front of the face and the head bowed slightly. They say "Vanakkam", which is the same as the Western greeting of "How are you?" However, in Singapore today, many young people do not use this greeting among peers; they normally use it only when they are greeting their elders.
Young girls and women wear a sari or a Punjabi suit (a long overblouse and trousers) made of silk or cotton. Though the Punjabi suit is traditionally worn by North Indians. it is seen more comfortable and convenient than the sari and worn more and more by women of all ethnic groups.
The cow is considered to be a sacred animal because people consume its milk. In many Hindu homes, meat is not cooked or eaten on Friday. Indians are very fond of yogurt, which is served and consumed in many different forms, one of the favourite being lassi. It is a cooling drink made by blending some plain yogurt with a little water and crushed ice. Salt is added (by South Indians) or sugar is added (by North Indians). It is thought to aid in digestion. Indians generally enjoy very sweet and rich desserts made from evaporated and sweentened condensed milk. They also like fried food and fod fried in ghee (clarified butter). One interesting point about Indian food is that they it is always rich in colour: red (chilli), brown (curries), and yellow enhances the appearance of their food. Pungent aromas are the most enticing part of the meal.