Generally speaking, in most countries around the world, you have to go to the toilet to relieve yourself and defecate, but India is an exception because there is no toilet at all in India. There is no toilet paper in Indian toilets, and people are not used to bringing their own toilet paper. There is a sink next to the toilet, which is within reach. After defecation, wipe the anus with the fingers of your left hand, and then rinse your left hand with water from the sink next to the toilet. I feel that using paper is troublesome and a waste of resources, so I have to spend money on toilet paper.
Do Indians believe that all people who use paper to clean their stools do not wash their hands? ! Misunderstanding is that simple. Explain it clearly to the Indians. It dawned on them. oh. It turns out that these people have to wash their hands after wiping with paper. But the problem came immediately, and they began to be puzzled again: you wipe it with paper and then wash your hands with water, we use our hands directly, and then wash our hands with water. Your method is still troublesome. And it’s a waste of resources, and you have to spend money on toilet paper.
Next to the squat toilet, there is usually a bucket of water, and some people will bring a glass of water in when they go to the toilet. After going to the toilet, they wet their left hands with water, wipe their butts clean with their hands, and then rinse them with water. Those who are more particular will wash their hands again with hand sanitizer after coming out.
There are three reasons: Habits are hard to change. Indian friends have been doing this since childhood, and people all over the country are like this. This is as natural as wiping our butts with paper, and we don't think there is anything wrong with it at all. Moreover, their toilets do not put paper at all. Even if they do, they are used to dry hands after cleaning. I feel like wiping it with my hands is cleaner. You read that right, that’s how they feel! Some Indian friends don't like shaking hands with foreigners because they think people who wipe their butts with paper don't know how to wash their hands. As for whether wiping with hands is really cleaner than using paper, interested friends can try it themselves next time? Residents in India generally have flushing facilities in toilets, and ordinary people hold a glass of water in their hands when defecating. Customs stipulate that you use your left hand to wash your buttocks, so you are not allowed to use your left hand when picking food in the store. Toilet paper is only available in bathrooms in high-end places frequented by foreigners. This is actually a good habit. Its benefits are first of all, the incidence of hemorrhoids is greatly reduced; secondly, it can save a lot of paper, which is extremely beneficial to the protection of earth resources and the protection and development of green projects. This alone can save a lot of wood. However, the overseas Chinese living in India think it is offensive and most of them are not used to it. They still maintain their own national habits and still use toilet paper.
Why do they like to use wipes? Indians are accustomed to this since they were born like this. It is as natural as us wiping our butts with paper, and we don't think there is anything wrong at all. Moreover, they never put paper towels in the toilet, and they don’t bring them themselves. They think it’s cleaner to wipe it with their hands, yes, you read that right, that’s what they think! Not only that, they also think that people who wipe their butts with paper don’t wash their hands! So they dislike foreigners and don't even want to shake hands with foreigners. I think it is necessary to explain to our friends in India that we still wash our hands after wiping with paper. As for whether wiping with hands is really cleaner than using paper, are there any interested friends who can test it for themselves? Reduce the incidence of hemorrhoids. Indians rarely get hemorrhoids, which is partly related to the fact that they wipe their buttocks with their hands. Nowadays, the smart toilet seat that automatically flushes the butt can reduce the incidence of hemorrhoids. The same is true for Indian friends who wipe it with their hands.
I use my right hand when eating and shopping; many people will say that the picture of wiping with my hands and grabbing food with my hands is too beautiful. It is true that Indians are accustomed to eating with their hands. Most Indian dishes are made into a paste, which is convenient for rolling and eating in pancakes or eating with rice. Regardless of whether you are an adult or a child, you must eat with your right hand and pass food and cutlery to others with your right hand. Using your left hand is considered disrespectful. There are also things to pay attention to in daily life. You cannot use your left hand to pick food in the store, and you cannot use your left hand to pay. It is very impolite.
The Indians have a fanatical worship of cows. Indians regard cows as family members and gods. They raise cows at home, give cows names, talk to cows, and decorate cows with garlands and ribbons. In India, the cow is the mount of Lord Shiva. More than 80% of Indians are Hindus and worship cows as gods. Burning cow dung for cooking, especially in poor rural areas, residents generally dry cow dung for cooking. Even the poor in cities also use cow dung. You can even see cow dung as big as pancakes drying in the city’s remote streets, on walls, and on the ground. Both men and women bathe in the open. The poor in some parts of India have no land or house.
Many poor people in India live in trees, sleep on the streets, and even bathe in broad daylight.
In some rural areas in India, women almost always go to the toilet in groups of three or three to avoid being hurt. As for going to the toilet, there is also a certain time period. Local women usually choose to go to the wild together at dawn and near dusk to solve the problem of going to the toilet. In Kurmaali, a village less than 80 kilometers away from Delhi, women in the village go to the farmland to "go to the toilet" twice a day. For safety, they walk shoulder to shoulder and walk together for about 15 minutes. After arriving, they go to the toilet separately. After that, everyone returned to their respective teams, as organized and disciplined as the army. A local woman said that she would wake up her three daughters at 4 a.m. every day, bring each of them a bottle of water, and then go to the toilet together. She said she would never let her daughter walk alone because she was afraid she would encounter any danger. However, they walked in a straight line every time they went back and forth, never taking detours. This way they could avoid danger.
If you are going to travel to India, I will not advise you otherwise, but please bring more toilet paper. You must take it with you when you use the toilet, because Indians in many places do not use the toilet. If you know how to wipe your butt, it is even less likely that they will prepare toilet paper for you in the toilet! Of course, don’t think wrongly, not bringing toilet paper does not mean that they, uh, don’t handle it. There is no toilet paper in Indian toilets, but a sink is prepared next to it. After defecation, you can use the left-hand paper to wipe your butt directly, and then use the water in the sink to wash your left hand (why left and right will be discussed later). Because they feel that using toilet paper is really wasteful, not only a waste of forest resources and human resources, but also a waste of money for individuals.
If you go to a big city in India, it might be slightly better. But if you go to a small city or even some small towns and villages in Xiaomian, then you may have to live a more primitive life, because their toilets are just pits. Paste a few tiles against the wall and dig a few holes to create a public toilet exclusively for men. The situation is even worse in rural areas, where no one uses toilets at all.
When I was reading a few years ago, I read that Indians wipe themselves clean with their hands after going to the toilet. I couldn’t believe it at the time. After visiting Guoguan several times, someone finally confirmed that this is how Indians actually clean their butts. There is no toilet paper in Indian toilets, and people are not used to bringing their own toilet paper. There is a sink next to the toilet, which is within reach. After defecation, wipe the anus with the fingers of your left hand, and then rinse your left hand with water from the sink next to the toilet. Therefore, in India, never shake hands or greet people with your left hand, otherwise, the other person will think that you are a great insult to him. A netizen who often goes to India once said that Indians still find us ridiculous. Why? An Indian once said, 'I don't want to shake hands with them (not just the Chinese, but all the people who use paper to clean) when I think of them using paper to clean.'
Why do Indians think so? It became clear later. It turns out that Indians believe that all people who use paper to clean their stools do not wash their hands? ! Misunderstanding is that simple. Explain it clearly to the Indians. It dawned on them. oh. It turns out that these people have to wash their hands after wiping with paper. But the problem came immediately, and they began to be puzzled again: you wipe it with paper and then wash your hands with water, we use our hands directly, and then wash our hands with water. Your method is still troublesome. And it’s a waste of resources, and you have to spend money on toilet paper.