(kulachara) Hinduism is flexible enough that a family's traditional practices may have a significant impact on an individual's religious life.
In religion, for example, family tradition is very significant.
The Hindu pantheon has many distinct gods, and the one a person worships as "God" is generally influenced by his or her family's beliefs, while other variables such as personal preference may also play a role.
Family tradition is also significant in establishing bounds for religious practice, both in ordinary religious life and in establishing standards for conducting life cycle rites.
Many families, for example, have a set age for executing the chudakarana samskara, the "tonsure" or head-shaving rite of passage that signals the end of childhood.
Some families do this in the first year, while others do it in the third, fifth, or even seventh year.
Religious practice varies significantly across families, but it tends to be fairly consistent within families, since it is one of the ways in which families establish a unique identity.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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