India the land of the most ancient, most magical civilizations, faiths, and traditions. People of various religions are living in the vast country. It is a territory that has fascinated the entire world with its snake charmers, peacock and elephants on one side, and with the works of Aryabhatta, Shusruta and Tagore, on the other. It is a land of celebrations and customs that leave the world in wonder with all the colors and pomp. There are some fun traditions frequent among Indians, such as the Dhinga Gavar in Rajasthan, where women have their own fancy dress parades, or the Juta Churai Rasam in the weddings, where the bride’s side takes the groom’s shoes hostage, and only produces them on being paid a attractive ransom. There are much more such exciting rituals and customs. But, then once again, there are some traditions and rituals strange and even unsafe. Let’s take a peek at 10 Shocking Rituals in India.
Ten Most Shocking Rituals in India:
10. Frog Marriage
The months of May and June are the hottest in the country with the temperature usually flying in the array of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius at many areas. This is the time when individuals need monsoon the most.But the arrival of monsoon differs from place to place. Sometimes monsoon also gets late all over the country.
In order to encourage god to shower common people with rain frog weddings are carried out.The wedding of frogs represents that during rainy period frogs may come out and welcome Lord Indra.
The wedding is conducted so that frogs croak and welcome Indra Dev as well as the monsoon showers The noise of frog croaking is the indication of the onset of rain.Hence the marriage can bring about rain.
9. Alagu kuthal
A painful ritual, sometimes for appeasing the gods, or for repentance or as a thanksgiving.
8. Trampled by Cattle
In villages around Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, men lay down on the ground and have their cattle trample all over them, as part of a bizarre centuries-old ritual.There are many things people will do in order to have their prayers answered by their gods, getting trampled by cattle was one of them.
7. Kesh Lochan
It is common in Jainism where Sadhus and Sadhvis after receiving the diksha, pluck their hair, with their hands, twice a year or at least once a year.
Why Kesh Lochan? Jain saints pluck their hair as a mark of renunciation of worldly pleasures during their Kish Lochan ritual. Saints perform this ritual to motivate their followers to take the path of renunciation. Jains believe that plucking hair teaches them to endure pain.
6. Babies dunked in boiling water
In Bijalapur district of Karnataka, 3 months old baby is dunked into the basin full of boiling water but lift immediately. The ritual is to thank the priest after they were blessed with a child after a long time.
5. Nagaland Marriage Tradition
Among the Angamis, a young man having fixed his choice upon a certain girl tells his father, who sends a friend to ascertain the wishes of his parents. If they express conditional approval, the bridegroom’s father puts the matter further to the test by strangling a foul and watching the way in which it crosses its legs when dying. If the legs are placed in an inauspicious attitude, the match is immediately broken off. Otherwise, the girl is informed of the favourable progress of negotiations. At this stage, she can exercise a power of veto, as if she dreams an inauspicious dream within the next three days, her suitor must search a bride elsewhere; if all goes favourably the wedding day is fixed.
The members of the Mongsen tribe practice a strange norm. After the engagement, the boy, and the girl sent on a trading journey for twenty days. If the expedition is gainful, the preparations are made for the marriage. In case of a loss, the engagement is broken off as it is considered inauspicious.
4. Marriage with Animal
In very small part of India, some believe that a girl born with a tooth that has already broken the gums is cursed and will encounter very bad luck. She can only ward off this bad omen by marrying an animal (usually a dog or a goat).
3. Garudan Thookkam (Eagle Hanging)
Garudan Thookkam is a ritual art form performed in Kali temples of south Kerala, south India. The people who dress up as Garuda perform the dance. After the dance performance, the hang-designate dangle from a shaft hooking the skin on his back. Garudan Thookam is submitted as a reward for the problems solved in the abode of Goddess Kali.
2. Baby Tossing
From last 700 years or so, children between the ages of one and two are being dropped from a 50-foot tower, where they free-fall into a sheet held by men below, then are quickly passed into the arms of their waiting parents at Grishneshwar Temple in western India’s Maharashtra state. The parents believe that the practice will make their children more intelligent, braver, luckier, and healthier. The ceremony is fairly common in rural parts of India and is practiced both by Muslims and Hindus.
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The Aghori Sadhus
The Aghoris (Aghori) are members of a Hindu sect who worship Shiva, whom they see as the supreme god. Because they believe that Shiva created everything – they consider nothing to be bad. For this reason they engage in a variety of sexual practices, they drink alcohol, take drugs, and eat meat. Nothing is considered taboo. But the thing that makes their ancient traditions bizarre is that they are also practicing cannibals and their temples are cremation grounds. An aghori lives in the cremation ground and is able to support himself there – his clothing comes from the dead, his firewood comes from the funeral pyres, and food from the river. When a person is cremated, an aghori will coat himself in the ashes of the body and meditate on the dead.
The most shocking aspect of the Aghori life is their cannibalism. Dead bodies that are found floating in the river are gathered up and meditated on. The limbs are then removed by the Aghori and eaten raw. If you are interested in watching a fascinating documentary on the Aghoris, here is the link : Aghora
