Top 10 big obsessions among Indians

New Delhi: People in almost all countries have certain obsessions. These obsessions reflect the popular culture of the people of that nation. As masses follow these obsessive trends, businessmen quietly make a killing out of these.Here are 10 things that Indians are crazy about : 1. Skin lightening creams In India, skin lightening cream is a craze among both men and women who have brown-coloured skin. Almost every Indian mother expects her sons and daughters to have fair coloured skin. Matrimonials are packed with texts like "gori" prospective brides.Though Hindu gods Lord Rama, Krishna and Shiva have brown coloured skin, Indians in general have a fetish for light coloured skin. Thanks to the skin lightening cream industry's innovations, even a maid or a poor woman owns a pouch packet of these in order to look fair. 2. Cricket No words to describe this sport fervour in India. Especially when it's an India vs Pakistan match. It's like a do or die situation for Indians. Roads become deserted, people stay indoors or watch on huge screens, the twists and turns in the game called cricket. And cricketers? They are as great as gods for their fans.3. Superstitions Centuries of superstitious upbringing have brought about an ingrained psyche among most Indians towards paranormal activities. Superstitions have become a part of life. Hanging lemon and green chilies in front of the house or vehicles, not crossing the road when a black cat crosses the path, are common superstitions imbibed by most of the Indians.Go to any temple, mazaar or other religious place, you will find hundreds and hundreds of scarves, threads, etc. tied to branches and pillars.4. Big fat weddings No doubt, Indians spend lavishly on weddings.The reunion of two souls in India has to be with great pomp and show otherwise ‘what will people say!' Right from cash-rich industrialists to a lowly domestic servant, every Indian aspires to hold lavish weddings for his or her son or daughter.5. Jugaad ‘Jugaad' is the solution to every problem in India. It is the ultimate alternative solution to any difficult situation you are into. Jugaad could be a fabricated vehicle run on diesel sets, it could be somebody trying to use a "jack" to get his child admitted to a public school or even an NIT, or in a job in a prestigious corporate or government department, jugaad is the order of the day. 6. BollywoodBollywood is omnipotent and omniscient for Indians living in our great land and even across the shores. Hoardings, fashion trends, campus lingo, sms jokes everything is influenced by Bollywood in the country. Bollywood stars set the pace for, say, a Sadhana haircut, a Rajesh Khanna guru kurta, and what not.7. Self styled Godmen They have fooled many but are still followed reverently by Indians. They have earned hundreds of crores by delivering vacuous sermons, but the opium of the masses sustain these so-called godmen, who are, in real life, nothing but lesser mortals.The actual godmen, mind you, live high up in the Himalayas or in deep forests, unconcerned about the state of the country and its people.8. Street foodSpeak of India and ‘street food' are the first words that hit you. Visit Old Delhi, Amritsar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Jaipur and any big Indian city, you will find each place having its own fare of street food, which people lovingly lap it up. 9. Chinese productsMarkets are flooded with Chinese products which are available at half the prices of Indian goods. Be it mobiles, cosmetics, gadgets, clothes, Indians are going crazy over Chinese durables even if they are known for their poor durability. No warranty, mind you.10. Horoscope matching This seems to be the passion of almost all Indian parivaars. Even if the boy and girl want to marry willingly, the marriage is not fixed until and unless the ‘Kundli'(horoscopes) match. In India, horoscopes have to match for a ‘successful marriage' or it's a ‘no' . The astrologers go laughing all the way to the bank.