7 Weird Indian Customs And Rituals That Will Leave You Puzzled

It’s no secret that India is a land brimming with diversity and culture. Every state has it’s own unique traditions and customs that not many may be aware of. While many of us city folk might not be huge followers of traditions, there are some of us who still remember and follow them. However, there are a few Indian rituals that are simply bizarre. In fact, some of them are so weird, that many fail to see the logic as to performing them and judge people who practice them. So here is a list of seven of the most bizarre Indian rituals and practices displayed by people across the country:

1. Veni Daan

This weird ritual may seem really romantic when you look at pictures but it is far from it. According to some Hindu couples residing in Allahabad and Maharashtra, the wife plaits her hair, dresses in a traditional manner, and sits on the lap of her husband. The husband then chops off a tuft of her long hair and is offered to a river. This is apparently done in order to ensure the prosperity and happiness of a family. The reason this ritual is performed is because they believe it strengthens the relationship between a husband and a wife who have to spend not just one but seven lifetimes together (according to Hindu customs).

2. Bani Festival

This extremely weird and aggressive festival is one of the most bizarre and violent festivals to be held in the country. This violent festival occurs during the occasion of Dussera in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and involves men beating each other with lathis. The men start the so-called celebration around midnight and stop by dawn. It has resulted in numerous deaths and severe head injuries.

3. Tossing Babies Off A Roof And Into A Blanket

Yes, this is a real thing that actually happens. In the city of Solapur, there is a special Dargah called Baba Umer Dargah. The men in this city believe that tossing their children off a roof will bring them good luck and fortune. This event has apparently been followed for over 700 years by the people of this city. Many authorities have tried to stop the festival from occurring but people find ways to sneak around restrictions.

4. Thimithi

This bizarre event involves men walking over hot coal and is celebrated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is performed to honor the wife of the Pandavas, Draupadi. Draupadi was asked to prove her purity by walking on burning coal and was said to have emerged unscathed from the flames. Those participating in the festival are not allowed to run across the coals. They have to walk across slowly. We cannot imagine them emerging from this challenge unscathed unless they have soles of steel. The weird thing is that this festival is not just celebrated in India but in Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and even Mauritius.

5. Humans “Marrying” Animals

In many rural villages of the country, to avert bad luck, people get their daughters married to animals. This odd tradition has been the subject of many online debates and documentaries and it’s very odd that many people still follow it. This is a part of a superstitious belief that if a girl is born with a physical deformity she should get married to an animal before she marries a human. These villegers believe that girls born with physical deformities are apparently bad omen.

6. Made Snana

This extremely casteist and ridiculous tradition involves people from lower caste communities rolling over food leftover by Brahmins. This is to cure them of any alleged ailments they may be suffering from. The ritual is practiced in the Southern state of Karnataka and it is extremely sad to see people still indulge in these kinds of regressive traditions in a country that is slowly distancing itself from the prejudice of the caste system.

7. Aghoris And Their “Fleshy” Diets

Aghoris are a popular sect of Shiva worshippers who usually inhabit areas where dead bodies are cremated like crematoriums and riversides. They believe that everything provided by nature can be consumed and they are known for eating the flesh of dead bodies and using their bones and skulls as vessels to consume liquid and food from.

While some of these traditions are harmless, a lot of them are downright crazy and don’t belong in this modern-day era. Although every country has its own set of bizarre traditions, some of the traditions on this list take the cake for being super crazy. Which of these traditions did you find the most bizarre? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comment section below. Share this article if you learned something new!

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

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