Indian Men Get Trampled by Cattle in Traditional Ritual
In villages around the Ujain region, in India’s central state of 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 a many things people will do in order to have their prayers answered by their gods, but until today, I […]
Agni Keli – Unique Indian Tradition Encourages Fighting Fire with Fire
Agni Keli, also known as the Fire Fight of Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple, in Mangalore, India, is a unique ritual which has hundreds of devotees throwing burning palm fronds at each other, to appease the Hindu goddess Durga. Each year, the Festival of Kateel Durga Parameswari Temple is celebrated over 8 days, in the month of April. It commences on the night before […]
India’s Controversial Baby Dropping Ritual Is Back
The devotee scales the high walls of the religious shrine on a rope, a bucket dangling off his back. Once he is at the top (typically about 30ft high), he miraculously retrieves a baby from the bucket, handing it over to a bunch of men standing on the balcony. One of these men takes hold […]
Famadihana – Dancing with the Dead in Madagascar
The people of Madagascar have a unique ritual to celebrate family ties called Famadihana, also known as ‘turning of the bones’. It is a festival celebrated every 7 years or so, during which family crypts are opened up and the remains of dead ancestors are brought out to be wrapped in a new cloth. The […]
Malaysians Sleep in Coffins for Good Luck
Most people would prefer to stay out of a coffin for as long as possible, but for devotees at the Looi Im Si temple, in Penang, Malaysia, sleeping in a coffin is the best thing that could happen to them. The Taoist temple located in Jelutong worships deities linked to the afterlife, like Xiao Xian […]
Thai Temple Offers the Ultimate Chance at Rebirth
Wat Prommanee, a Buddhist temple, 66 miles northeast of Bangkok, offers believers the chance to lay in a coffin for a few moments, then rise up and feel reborn… I for one find coffins to be really creepy and I wouldn’t dream of lying down in one if someone paid me all the money in […]