[Steelfish]

I must admit you make some good points.

What was meant by the “Ganges” culture is that Hinduism is suffused with paganistic rituals even at the expense of serious health hazards. I do believe that all Hindu priests must be of the Brahmin caste and in many Indian villages low caste people do not drink and eat from the same utensils of the higher castes. India also has an entrenched dowry system and selective gender-based abortions are all too common even among Indians living abroad.

[Cronos]

What was meant by the “Ganges” culture is that Hinduism is suffused with paganistic rituals even at the expense of serious health hazards. -- well it is a Pagan (non-Christian) religion more akin to the religion of all of Europe before Christianity (in the sense that the wide variety of religions under the umbrella term of hinduism includes athiestic religions like the Arya Samaj or jainism, to various religions that say Shiva is the only real god or Vishnu is the only real god.) -- and true about at the expense of serious health hazards

I do believe that all Hindu priests must be of the Brahmin caste -- mostly yes, but particularly in south India there are non-Brahmin priests for local religions.

and in many Indian villages low caste people do not drink and eat from the same utensils of the higher castes.

I'm sure that still exists, but it lessens each day -- as I pointed out above, the untouchables and lower castes now have more political AND economic power, and "money talks" -- perhaps the upper castes mutter about it, but if your boss is an untouchable, then you have little that you can do.

India also has an entrenched dowry system and selective gender-based abortions are all too common even among Indians living abroad. -- "entrenched" - again, this is changing now, ever since women have got more educatio nand more political rights. It's still there but weakening. Yes, gender-based abortions which is vile -- I'm waiting for the day when parents realize there is a shortage of girls and start having a reverse dowry -- "you want my daughter to marry your son? What's the dowry HE is going to pay?" :)