Religious beliefs and practices in every culture help bring people closer to each other due to their common interests, thus keeping them happy. But what about religious rituals, which in the name of preconceptions are meant to be an attack on the human race and cannot be accepted by liberal minds like us?
10 Bizarre Religious Beliefs Across the World
We have brought you the 10 weirdest religious beliefs and practices of the world that are questionable.
1. Throwing Baby from rooftops for good luck
In some parts of Western India, especially in Maharashtra, this religious belief is common among Hindu and Muslim families. They believe that their offspring would be blessed with good luck and charm if thrown from the height of 50 feet from the rooftop on the ground and other people use a bed sheet to catch the child. According to the people who practice it, this ritual brings courage, strength, and good luck to the child.
2. Garudan Thookkam (Piercing hooks in the body)
It is a ritual mainly performed in the Kali temple of Southern India. People generally dress up as Garuda and get their backs pierced with sharp hooks. These hooks are then attached to wooden poles, which are lifted from the ground to the top. It is performed to show their devotion to god.
3. Jainist Digambaras
The digambaras hold a prominent place in the Jain religion. They are a part of one of the two main sects of Jainism. Digambaras mainly emphasize the independence of the human spirit. Men live naked with a peacock-like broom that they use to clean their surroundings. They believe that this ritual reinforces the idea of equality amongst all.
4. The Ritual of Finger Cutting in the Dani tribe
A tribe of Papua New Guinea, these people are known for their strange rituals. People of this tribe, at the time of a family member’s funeral, usually cut off their fingers and bury them with the dead body. According to them, this is a mark of love for the deceased family member.
5. No toilet for the bride and groom for the initial 3 days in the Tidong community
It is a very strange religious practice that is followed in the Tidong community in Indonesia. Under this ritual, the bride and groom, after their marriage, are not allowed to use the toilets for the initial 3 days. As per their belief, if it is not practiced, it brings terrible luck to the couple.
6. Day of the Dead, Mexico
In Mexico, families take a casual visit to the graves of their dearest ones on the day of the dead. They stay there for the night and party. This was also shown in the movie ‘Volver’ by Pedro Almodovar.
7. Sati Pratha, India
It was mainly practiced in ancient India, but some recent cases of Sati shocked the nation. Under this ritual, the widow was forced to sit on the dead body of their deceased male partner, and the widow was then burnt alive along with her husband’s dead body. This ritual was very dominant during the time of British rule. British records from the early 19th century stated that over 500 incidents took place each year between 1813 to 1828.
8. God Diego for Argentinians
You may believe it or not, some of the Argentinians consider the football hero ‘Diego Maradona’ as the real god. These people have also laid the foundation of ‘Iglesia Maradoniana’ ( Church of Maradona). As per their religion, their followers must use “Diego’ as their second name.
9. An extramarital affair is okay in Indonesia during Pon celebration
It may shock you, but people can have sexual intercourse with anyone they want during the Pon celebration in Indonesia. It is believed that the ritual brings good luck to the family.
10. Hindu Thaipusam festival piercings
During the religious holiday, Thaipusam’s celebration, the Tamil Hindu community declares their devotion to Lord Murugan by piercing various body parts.
I know this listicle must have been as shocking to you as it has been to me!
