Taboo or Tradition??

Indian Culture is like a storybook, full of strange and wonderful stories. You may not believe what you read, you may not agree with what's written, but one thing is for certain; You just can't stop reading. Because, the more you read, the more fascinating it gets.

Many a times, we Indians choose our hearts over our heads. Holding tight all that we believe in, we confidently tread beyond the realm of rational thinking. These celebrations and rituals

will raise many questions, but then, not all questions have answers.

There are a lot of bizarre cultures and traditions followed in all over the country. For one it may feel Taboo, but for the people who perform it, for them its culture.

Bani Festival, Andhra Pradesh

Celebrations are a way of human life. But some are so strange, it questions the very definition of the concept. The Bani Festival celebrated at the Devaragattu Temple in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh illustrates the point. Every Dusshera, hundreds of lathi -wielding devotees from Andhra and Karnataka gather at this temple to hit each other on the heads at midnight! Drenched in blood, these men go on with the celebration till the beak of dawn, to commemorate the killing of a demon by Mala-Malleshwara (Shiva). According to the temple priest, this festival has been celebrated for over a 100 years, and earlier axes and spears were used instead of lathis ! This year, 56 people were injured during Bani. Medical attendants and policemen are deployed during this festival but they mostly remain spectators, in the face of the extreme frenzy.

Thaipoosam, Tamil Nadu

Faith is a precious ray of light that pulls us out of our inner darkness. The same faith, at times, takes on frightening proportions. Celebrated in Tamil Nadu and parts of southern India during the Tamil month of Thai, Thaipoosam is a festival that honours Lord Murugan (or Kartikeya, the son of Shiva and Parvati) receiving a lance to destroy the evil army of Tarakasura. Following a 48 day fast, many devotees pierce their bodies with hooks, skewers and lances called vel. Some even try pulling tractors or other heavy objects with the hooks in their skin; others pierce their tongue and cheek to impede speech and thereby attain full concentration on the Lord. They enter into a trance during such piercing due to the incessant drumming and chanting. The horrifying sight is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Tossing infants from the roof for good luck - Maharashtra and Karnataka

At times, faith takes over our reasoning and makes us do things without ever questioning them. The bizarre practice of baby tossing has been practised in India for years by both, Hindus and Muslims. At Baba Umer Dargah near Sholapur, Maharashtra, babies are dropped from a height of 50 feet, and caught in a sheet held by waiting men. A similar custom is observed at the Sri Santeswar temple near Indi, in the state of Karnataka. This ritual has been followed for over 700 years and is believed to bring prosperity to the family. The National Commission For Protection Of Child Rights is investigating these cases. According to organizers, no injuries have been reported so far.

Jallikattu, Tamil Nadu

If Bull-Fighting reminds you of Spanish matadors, think again. A more rustic and dangerous form of the sport has been played in India for over a century now. Jallikattu is a part of Pongal celebrations. Jallikattu bulls are raised wild and special care is taken to feed and exercise them, so they develop into sturdy beasts fit for fighting. Hundreds of men chase the bull, trying to snatch the prize from its horns. Unlike Spanish bull-fighting, the bull isn't killed in Jallikattu. It is the matador who is left vulnerable, because he cannot carry weapons and the bulls' horns are sharpened. In the past two decades, over 200 people have died indulging in this dangerous sport. In May 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned Jallikattu.

Madey Snana , Karnataka

Casteism has been one of India's oldest problems. While the society has changed and condemns such unwarranted discrimination, many still hold on to it.  The Kukke Subramania Temple has a strange centuries old tradition called Madey Snana or Spit Bath.  Those from lower castes roll on the floor over food leftovers of Brahmins on banana leaves, to rid themselves of various ailments. This practice was banned in 2010, but it had to be lifted in 2011 after protests by the Malekudiya tribe. The ritual has been categorised as a blind belief in the proposed Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill (2013) after progressive leaders and liberals in the state upped their ante against the controversial practice.

Garudan Thookam, Kerala

This ritual art form performed in Kerala's Kali temples is as fascinating as it as shocking. Dancers dress up as Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu who quenched the goddess Kali's thirst with blood after slaying Darika the demon. After the dance performance, they hang like eagles (Garudan Thookam) from a shaft, by hooking the flesh on the backs! These hanging ' Garudas ' are taken around the city in a colourful procession. This ritual is carried out on Makara Bharani Day and Kumbha Bharani Day.

The Aghori way of life, Banaras

The formidable Aghori Sadhus of Banaras are easily recognisable in their long matted hair and bodies smeared in ash. Their way of connecting to God is, very subtly put, off-beat. These monistic saints believe in renouncing the world by finding ' purity in the filthiest.' This leads them to eat human remains after cremation and have intercourse with corpses. They are believed to be posses tantrik powers of healing.

Agni Keli, Mangalore

Every year in the month of April, the Festival of Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple is celebrated over 8 days. Of the many themed performances during this time, the centuries-old tradition of Agni Keli is the most intriguing. Hundreds of bare-bodied devotees hurl flaming palm fronds at each other. Spectators watch as these men attempt to set one another ablaze! Those who suffer burns are then sprayed with water of the kumkumarchana.

Aadi Festival, Tamil Nadu

Every year, on the 18 ^th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, thousands of devotees flock the Mahalakshmi Temple, Mettu Mahadhanapuram, in the Karur District of Tamil Nadu, to willingly allow the priest to smash coconuts on their heads for good luck and health. As the story goes, 187 coconut shaped stones were dug out at the location of the temple. During the Raj, the Britishers wanted to build a railway track across the temple and villagers were against it. To test their devotion, the British struck a deal: if they could break these stones on their heads, the course of the railway line would be changed. The villagers succeeded and the temple was saved. The tradition has been followed till date, despite warnings by medical practitioners.

Self-flagellation - The Mourning of Muharram

This will make you very, very uneasy. 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. In their state of religious trance, they claim they do not feel the pain.

Exorcism by marriage - Human-Animal Weddings

If you've watched the Exorcist, you know how frightening it is to get rid of spirits that haunt you. But in India, we have a jugaad for it: marriage. In many parts of the country, girls born with a tooth, or those born with facial deformation are believed to be possessed by ghosts. Marrying an animal, typically a dog or a goat, is believed to rid one of spirits and bad omens, and at times, mangal dosh.

Ambubachi Mela, Guwahati

At the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, the object of reverence is the vagina of the Mother Goddess. According to legend, when Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, jumped into the fire, unable to bear her father's insult to her husband, Shiva went into a terrible rage and did the terrible Tandav Nritya, carrying her corpse. Parts of her body fell to the earth, forming Shakti Peeths. The Kamakhya Temple was formed where the Yoni (vagina) fell. Every year around June, the Goddess goes through her menstrual cycle. The temple remains shut for three days, and is believed to turn red. This is the time when the Ambubachi Mela is celebrated. This tantrik fertility mela attracts thousands of tantriks , aghoris and  sadhus from across the world, displaying their formidable psychic powers. The colour red - red flowers, vermillion, red cloth - stands out during the rituals. The maddening display of magic and mysticism makes for an extraordinary spectacle.

Burying children in sand - Karnataka

In an extremely bizarre ritual, children with physical disabilities and certain handicaps are buried in the sand up to their necks on the day of the solar eclipse. Before sunrise, pits deep enough to fully cover the children are dug out. The children are placed inside the pit from anywhere between an hour to 6 hours! The "treatment" is said to cure the children of all their disabilities.

-Nehal