Indians have an immense amount of personal cleanli­ness; much of which is closely interwoven with ideas of ritual purification. Rituals are “a set or series of acts usually involving religion or magic with the sequence esta­blished by tradition.”

Personal hygiene includes all those personal factors which influence the health and well being of an individual, It comprises many day to day activities such as care of body, regarding bathing and washing, care of clothing, teeth, hair, feet and nails, habits regarding eating, diet, exercise, sleep, play, recreation, smoking and mental attitude towards life. Any disruption of these activities may impair health.

Oral Hygiene:

Indians are very particular about oral hygiene. Stomach disorders and poor health generally are often caused due to bad oral hygiene. As teeth are the most important part of the oral hygiene, it should be kept in good order. For keeping the teeth in good order many people in the countryside use twigs of need tree as a tooth brush; some use ashes; and some charcoal. The educated and those who have come in contact with urban life use tooth brushes. Mouth should be carefully washed with some simple mouth wash, immediately after eating.

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Bathing:

A cold bath is very refreshing, but one should not remain in it too long. The practice of an oil bath is a good Indian custom. Womenfolk in the country- side use a paste consisting of gram, mustard oil and tur­meric powder and rub it on the body before a bath.

Howe­ver the body should be well rubbed and dried with a thick towel after bathing. Turkish baths cause profuse sweating and are thus a very useful means of helping to clean the skin. Bathing, either in cold or hot water should not be done after eating a heavy meal. Because the cold water drives too much blood to the walls of the stomach, while the hot water draws the blood away. In both the ways the proper digestion of food is interfered with. But a warm bath is very healthful and agreeable when a person feels cold and chilly.

Hair:

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Hair is an outgrowth from the skin. Washing of hairs on the head with soap and soft warm water help to remove dirt. It is not a good practice to wash the hairs with soap every day, as it removes the fat and in this way it is said to cause the hair to turn prematurely grey. Hair should be combed and brushed several times a day.

Nails:

Nails are firmly fixed and have roots, just like the hairs. Nails strengthen the tips of our fingers and toes and also protect them to some extent. -Nails should be kept short and neatly trimmed. Nail brushes should be used for removing dirt underneath the nails. The nails, especially those of the fingers should always be kept per­fectly clean. Nothing is more objectionable or offensive to the eye of an onlooker than an accumulate of dirt under the nails. Moreover, the dirt may be cause of some of the worst form of diseases.

Smoking:

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Smoking hubble-bubble is a social custom in some parts of the country. It can spread tuberculosis. Smoking with the burning end of the cigar in the mouth which is a common custom among villagers is associated with oral cancer. Among patients with peptic ulcer those who smoke have a higher death rate than those who do not. So smoking is not at all good for health

Wearing Shoes:

As the transmission of hook-worm disease is associated with bare feet, the feet should be pro­tected by wearing shoes It also protect the legs from severe cold during winter season and also from different types of injuries.