1. Ritual: In spite of the Theoretical existence of certain restrictions, the low castes or other groups did manage to imitate the customs and rites of “Twice-born” (DWIJAS) castes. This is the best way of claiming a higher position in the caste hierarchy.
2. Marriage: According to a strict rule of Brahminism, a Brahmin should give his daughter in marriage before she attains puberty. Pre-puberty marriages were commonly practiced. It was foremost, duty of a Brahmin father to give his daughter in marriage before she attains puberty, otherwise, he would be committing a great sin. And marriage among the Brahmin was Indissoluble.
On the other hand, among the low Hindu castes, post-puberty marriages were very common and the dissolution of marriage was possible. Now in order to rise up in the caste Hierarchy, the low Hindu castes started practicing pre-puberty marriages and marriage also become Indissoluble.
3. Treatment of Widows: A Brahmin widow, for instance, was not allowed to re-marry; and receives miserable treatment. She required to shave her head and should not allow wearing any ornaments. She was regarded inauspicious, and not allowed to attend any important functions. On the other hand, among the low castes, marriage is dissoluble and widow re-marriages are practiced.
Widows are not required to shave their heads. The codes which regulate sexual behaviour are not as strict as those among the higher castes. In the imitation process these groups, they banned widow- remarriage and started treating the widow in the same way on that of the ‘High’ Hindu castes.
4. Treatment of Women: Comparatively, women among the high Hindu castes receive bad treatment and hold secondary position. Virginity in brides and chastity in wives is preferred. A wife is expected to treat her husband as the God. Women perform a number of “Vratas” or Religious vows with the aim of successing long life for the Husband.
Hence they are not allowed to attend important functions. Whereas women among the lower castes generally receive good treatment and occupy good position. In order to imitate the higher castes, they started treating women in a bad manner and gave them the secondary position.
5. Kinship: According to M.N.Srinivas, “In the sphere of kinship, sanskritization stresses the importance in the patrilineal lineage, sanskritization results in increasing the importance of sons. The members of higher castes prefer sons to daughters, whereas among the lower castes both boys and girls are preferred.
For instance, among Non-Brahmin though son is preferred, a daughter is also demanded. The treatment that receives is not as harsh as that of Brahmins. Nowadays lower castes prefer sons to daughters.
6. Ideology: Sanskritization also resulting in the use of New Ideas and values which have been frequently expressed in Sanskrit literature. The ideas and values such as Karma, Dharma, Papa, Punya, Maya, Samskara, Moksha etc. The Twice-born castes use these ideas in their conversation. Through the process of Sanskritization lower caste groups were exposed to these ideas and values which are frequent in their conversation.
7. Food Habits: Brahmins in India are by and large strict vegetarian except Kashmiri, Sarhwath and Bengali Brahmin. The lower castes usually are Non-vegetarian. Sanskritization results in the change of food habits in the direction of high, frequently twice-born caste. Some of the lower castes become strict vegetarian and practice teetotalism in order to raise the caste hierarchy.
8. Dress Habits: It has already pointed out that Dwijas, as they are entitled to wear the sacred thread “JANWAR” at the Vedic rite of upanayana while Shudras do not. Some low castes wear the sacred thread and also imitated their dress style such as wearing dhoti, shalya, turban, kachche, panache, and so on.
9. Nomenclature: Many of the low castes started giving names to Newborn members of the Higher castes. For example in the place of traditional and typical names such as Kariya, Kempa, Kempi, Kala, Honni, Thimmi, etc., they started giving names such Rama, Krishna, Shankara, Madhava, Gowri, Parvathi, Lakshmi, Shobha, Radha and so on.
