Nalgonda district is famous for its religious, linguistic and traditional diversities. But, one unique thing about it is that there is univer in diversity though the external pattern of life of all the communities in becoming increasingly uniform under the Socio-economic stresses of modern living, each community has its own particular way of life, distinguished by varying manners and customs. Among the Hindus, there is a prescribed ceremony for every occasions in a man’s life from birth to death like the naming of the child (Namakarnam), first tonsure ( Kesa Khandanam), thread ceremony (Upanayanam), marriage ceremony (Vivaham), house-warming (Griha Pravesham) and death ceremonies. The higher castes among the Hindus cremate the dead, while several other castes, including the tribes, bury them. The Muslims generally take their dead first to the mosque where a funeral service is called Namaz-e-janaza is conducted and later the dead body is buried with its head placed towards north and the face turned to the west in the direction of Mecca. The Christian also take their dead first to the Church for the funeral service before burying in the cemetery. The Hindus perform Taddinam (death anniversary) for the dead. Pilgrimages to holy shrines is a custom common to all three major religious groups. The Christians of the district observe many of the manners and customs inherited from their Hindu ancestry.

Monogamy is the general pattern among all the major communities even where the personal law, as in the case of Muslims, for example, allows polygamy. Polygamy is practically non existent in the district. Among the Hindus, marriage is a sacrament and its rites are rigidly, prescribed by custom and tradition, though variations from caste to caste or even from family to family within a caste or sub caste may occur in the observance of various folklore ceremonies. Among all the castes there are certain customary restrictions on certain types of matrimonial alliance. Among the Muslims, however, marriage is a civil contract. The Mehr which is the amount the husband has to pay to the wife as a lump sum is always be paid before the ceremony taken place and may be paid either immediately or late in life. Marriages are usually negotiated and settled by the parents of the boy and the girl. The Qazi performs Nikah, which is the actual marriage ceremony, at the bride’s house. Christians of the district follow many of the manners and customs associated with the Hindus but the actual marriage ceremony is solemnized in a church by a priest.

The dowry system which means the demand made by the bridegroom’s people from the brides parents for the payment of money as well as other costly gifts in the shape of land, house, clothes and jewels, as a condition precedent to the alliance, is a Hindu institution which has now spread to Muslims and Christians as well. There are certain castes in the district where the very admission of a boy into a medical or engineering college puts up his value in the matrimonial market enormously. The passing of the abolition of Dowry Act of 1961 has not made any perceptible impact on this social evil.

Regardless of caste or community, all women are fond of flowers and ornaments. Hindu women wear the Bottu, The vermilian mark on the forehead. Some of the Christsian women, particularly the Catholics also put on the Bottu. Among the most treasured ornaments of married Hindu women are the Tali and Mattelu (Silver rings on the toes) because these ornaments are the seal and symbol of married status and are discorded only in the unfortunate event of widow-hood. The Lambada women are laden with ornaments, the horn bangles and the peculiar shaped anklets, which are heavy, attractive and most characteristic.