Customs and Rituals: Barbaric or humane

India is a country with many traditions and rituals. And an affluent culture sometimes means strange, insane cults with their own rituals. Some of them look downright menacing, but some will have your jaw sticking out of the floor.

1. Cannibalism - Aghoris

Cannibal Aghoris is a very famous sect in India. They are followers of the worship of Lord Shiva and believe that whatever nature provides can be consumed. This is one of the most famous cannibal tribes in India. They live near crematoriums or rivers where the dead are disposed of. It is not uncommon to find an Aghori pulling a corpse from a river, meditating on it and then tearing apart the limbs, devouring them one by one. They also used human bones and skulls as containers - to drink or eat.

2. Veni Daan - Allahabad

This is a strange ritual performed by Hindu couples residing in Allahabad and Maharashtra. In a Hindu wedding, the couple promises not one, but seven lives together. This promise is further reinforced by the Veni Daan ritual. According to this ritual, there is a great celebration and puja ceremony at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. All the rituals performed in the wedding are performed again. For the ceremony, the bride wears a traditional dress and braids her hair. When the ceremony was over, the wife sat on her husband's lap and he cut a bun from her braid. The hair is then provided to the river. The prosperity and happiness of the family is guaranteed by this ritual.

3. Baby Throwing - Maharashtra and Karnataka

One of the scariest rituals performed in the regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka is the infant throwing ritual. The ritual, which takes place in December, involves the father climbing the stairs/walls of the temple with the child in his arms or tied behind his back. Once at the top, the infant was handed over to the men standing at the top of the temple. The men rocked the baby back and forth once or twice, then suddenly dropped it to the ground from a height of 10 to 15 meters. Another group of men were holding blankets waiting on the ground. When the baby falls into the blanket, it is allowed to bounce once, then immediately pick it up and give it to the mother. This ritual is said to make children healthier. About 200 babies are launched each year and babies must be under 2 years old to be launched.

4. Dhinga Gavar - Jodhpur

Dhinga Gavar is an extension of the famous Gangaur Rajasthani festival although it is celebrated only in Jodhpur. The events start after sunset and take place in only 11 locations in the city. The statues of Dhinga Gavar (another name for Parvati, consort of the god Shiva) are dressed in Rajasthani's clothes and covered with gold ornaments. The genie was then offered cannabis and dried fruit. That evening, the women dressed in strange costumes (from priests to dacoits or politicians - whatever suits them) and marched through the streets with a long stick in hand. If a man approached the patrolling women, he would be beaten with a stick. It is believed that being beaten with a woman's stick will bring prosperity in the married man's life. If the man is unmarried, this will speed up the marriage process. So many single guys purposely visit women and get beaten with sticks so they get married early!

5. Aadi Festival - Tamil Nadu

Legend has it that in colonial times, the colonists wanted to build a railway line through the temple, which would lead to the destruction of the temple and so the villagers protested. During the construction of the temple, 187 coconut-shaped stones were collected from the river near the temple. The British, to challenge the locals, asked them to tear down all the coconut rocks on their heads and that the railway would not be built. The villagers were miraculously successful. Since that day, during the Aadi festival, hundreds of people line up in front of the temple where the monks break coconuts on their heads! The practice continued despite serious injuries and warnings from doctors.

6. Baby dipping in boiling water - Bijalapur

The inhuman custom is practiced in the Bijalapur district of Karnataka, where 3-month-old babies are dipped in boiling water. The baby was immediately picked up but suffered severe burns. The ritual is to thank the gods and shamans who have blessed the house with children.

7. Thimithi - Tamil Nadu

Thimithi festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, in honor of Draupadi, wife of Pandavas. Legend has it that after the Mahabharata War (mostly fought by the Pandavas to avenge the insult the Kauravas inflicted on Draupadi), Draupadi stepped through a fire and came out the other side unharmed, thereby proving her purity despite 5 husbands. The festival involves Tamil Nadu men walking on beds of hot coals. Pedestrians are not allowed to run but must walk slowly. Sometimes devotees fall while walking, causing burns to other parts of the body. The festival is celebrated in other countries such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia and Mauritius.

8. Cattle trampled - Ujjain, Bhopal

On Ekadashi, which is celebrated the day after Diwali, in Ujjain and Bhopal there is a big party. As part of the ritual, the villagers dress their cattle and decorate the bulls and cows with henna and paint. The villagers then wrap each other in wreaths and lie face down on the ground. The cattle were then released and allowed to be trampled by the villagers. The villagers continued to sing their wishes as cattle trampled them. This ritual is said to help fulfill their wishes and bring prosperity to the village.

9. Made Snana - South India

Temples in most parts of South India serve food or prasadam on traditional banana leaves. Food is eaten sitting cross-legged on the floor. According to the Made Snana tradition, devotees finish their food, then lie down on the ground and roll on banana leaves that still have food left over. This practice is said to reduce the health problems of the devotees and make them healthier.

10. Burying Children in the Sand - Karnataka

In an extremely bizarre ritual, children with certain physical disabilities and disabilities are buried in sand up to their necks on the day of a solar eclipse. Before sunrise, holes deep enough to completely cover the children were dug. The kids were placed inside the pit from one hour to six o'clock! The "treatment" is said to be able to cure any disability for children.

11. Lath Maar Holi - UP

Lath Mar Holi is part of Holi celebrated in Barsana town (Radha town) near Mathura. It is said that Krishna once visited Radha in his village and the gopis or women of the village chased him away. Since then, village tradition has it that in Holi, men of Nandgaon visit Barsana and women beat men with sticks. There are no limits and sometimes men have serious head injuries. In modern times, men participating in the festival often use shields on their heads for protection.

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