Sometimes people practice a ritual because it’s a part of their religion, or it’s such an old tradition that no one questions its existence. To an outsider or a non-practitioner of a religion, these practices can look extreme and shocking.
Here’s a list of the creepiest traditions around that world that are still being practiced today:
1.A Muslim shrine in the Maharashtra state of India tosses newborn babies off the side of the 15-meter temple and onto an extended sheet held by men at the bottom. The tradition is said to bring good health, strength and good fortune to the children. Although no serious injuries have been reported from this practice, many people in India want the tradition to be banned before anything tragic happens.
2.Bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. The practice is referred to as Ala-kachuu and more than half of Kyrgyz women are married after being kidnapped. This old tradition is illegal under the criminal code, but the law is rarely enforced. Women are basically taken from their family homes or places of work, forced to write letters to their families explaining they’ll never come back, and married into a new family. A lot of women manage to escape the kidnappings, but there’s a large number that chooses to stay because of the stigma that comes with no longer being a virgin.
3.Extreme cheek piercing at the Phuket Vegetarian festival in Thailand. The festival celebrates the abstinence from meat-based products but it’s also the place where mediums try to call on spirits. They believe that piercing their cheeks with serrated metal bars will help ward off evil spirits.
4.The Tibetan sky burial, where bodies are left to be picked clean by vultures on top of
mountains. The tradition is practiced by people who believe that the vultures are ‘Dakinis’ (the Tibetan equivalent of angels) and that they will carry the remains of their loved ones up to the heavens. Bodies are prepared by chopping them into pieces using hatchets and cleavers, and the family members of the deceased stay to watch the vultures eat the remains.
5.The Japanese Shinto Buddhist practice of fire walking. Called ‘Hiwatari Shinji’, the practices involves priests and believers of the Shinto faith walking over flaming embers. They believe that by doing this they can achieve more clarity of thought, get over fears and help the flow of energy move through their bodies.
Post a Comment