Unheard Strange Festivals and Rituals of India

India is a land of culture, religion, beliefs and weird rituals that you are unaware of. Every region has its own traditions, even if you find them strange or weird but this doesn't stop them to practice it

Lets know about these strange rituals practiced in India:

Self-flagellation - The Mourning of Muharram

Muharram translates into 'forbidden.' It is the holy month of remembrance and mourning. Mourning begins on the first day of the month with a 10 day fast and culminates into The Day of Ashura (tenth day), when Shia Muslims carry out the ritual of mass self-flogging to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. In a terrifying display of devotion, men mercilessly whip their bodies with blades attached to chains till they are are soaked in their own blood

It is something not for the faint hearted

Jallikatu - Bull Run

Jallikattu is a part of Pongal celebrations in Tamil Nadu

The term jallikattu comes from the Tamil words “salli kaasu” — while “salli” means coins, “kattu” is the package tied to a bull’s horns as a prize money.

Its a perfect place to throw your friend under the bull instead of bus

Even after banning it several times, people protested in favour of continuing the tradition

For them its a celebration of new harvest and the bulls too. According to them, if Jallikattu is banned, farmers too will be forced to abandon the native bulls over exotic or cross breeds.

Tossing Baby from 30 ft high roof

Solapur in Maharashtra is famous especially for this ritual, being home to the Baba Umer Dargah, where this ritual has been actively practiced for eons

This is a 700-year-old ritual practiced by both Hindu and Muslim families in the area. Legend has it that centuries ago, when the infant mortality rate was high, a saint advised the families of this region to demonstrate their faith in God by throwing their babies off the roof of a shrine and that God would magically produce a sheet below to catch them in.

But now, people seem to choose not to rely only on faith these days. As the baby is tossed off the roof by priests, a group of people wait below, holding a sheet to catch them in. On being caught safely in the blanket, the child is passed around in a triumphant celebration before being returned to its parents.

Next time you might wanna do this at your home, if you want to teach your kid discipline

Trampled Over by Cows

Villagers in Madhya Pradesh allow hundreds of cows to trample them as part of Diwali rituals. It is believed they are honouring the cows itself 

And in case any of these villagers sustain minor injuries, they are treated with cow urine and dung, which they say has medicinal qualities to heal these injuries.

Its the right place to go, to make amends for the sins you've done

Bagwal Festival - Stone Pelting Festival

It is a unique tradition to celebrate Raksha Bandhan in which devotees pelt stone at each other as part of a ritual named "Bagwal". It is held in a temple in Deidhura in Champawat district in Uttrakhand as a part of a ritual to appease the local deity.

According to legend four local feudal lords - Chamyal, Gaharwal, Olgiya and Lamgaria- divide into two groups, both of whom start pelting each other with stones. The ritual ends with a signal from the head priest.

Go to this festival if you want to let out your frustration by hitting someone

And also this festival is one of the few examples where the Government did intervene to make it safer for the people. According to Uttrakhand Tourism Department, the High Court has now ordered to use flowers and fruits instead of stones

For the Uncut and Remaining Absurd Rituals - click here

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