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India is a land of the oldest, most magical cultures, religions and customs. People of different religions live in the vast country. It is a land that has fascinated the world with its snake charmers, peacock and elephants on one side, and with the works of Aryabhatta, Shusruta and Tagore, on the other. It is a land of festivities and traditions that leave the world in awe with all the colours and pomp. There are some fun rituals prevalent among Indians, such as the Dhinga Gavar in Rajasthan, where women have their own fancy dress parades, or the Juta Churai Rasam in the weddings, where the bride’s side takes the groom’s shoes hostage, and only releases them on being paid a handsome ransom. There are many more such enjoyable rituals and customs. But, then again, there are some customs and rituals strange and even harmful. Let’s take a look at 10 Shocking Rituals in India. Ten Most Shocking Rituals in India: 10. Arranged Marriage    The world dropped t...

Thalaikkooththal is the traditional practice of senicide (killing of the elderly) or involuntary euthanasia, by their own family members, observed in some parts of southern districts of Tamil Nadu state of India. The inhuman and illegal practice of Thalaikoothal – a form of geronticide or involuntary euthanasia where the elderly are forced to undergo the procedure against their will – continues to be practiced in the State, a study conducted in Madurai, Virudhunagar and Theni districts reveals.  Thalaikoothal is no random act of extermination, but a well-oiled death ritual provoked by poverty and abetted by custom. According to the study titled ‘A Study on the Victims of Geronticide in Tamil Nadu, India’ conducted by M. Priyamvadha, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology of Madras University, about 30 per cent of the respondents of the study acknowledged that geronticide was being practiced as a ritual killing in the State, while 22 per cent of th...

Snake Island (Ilha da Queimada Grande) Off-limits and full of venomous pit vipers, Snake Island's nickname is frighteningly apt.  Off the shore of Brazil , almost 93 miles away from downtown São Paulo, is Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as “Snake Island.” The island is untouched by human developers, and for a very good reason. Researchers estimate that on the island live between one and five snakes per square meter. The snakes live on the many migratory birds (enough to keep the snake density remarkably high) that use the island as a resting point.    “Between one and five snakes per square meter” might not be so terrible if the snakes were, say, two inches long and nonvenomous. The snakes on Queimada Grande, however, are a unique species of pit viper, the golden lancehead. The lancehead genus of snakes is responsible for 90 percent of Brazilian snakebite-related fatalities. The golden lanceheads that occupy Snake Island grow to w...

The plain wood-panelled living room, with no furniture and just a few pictures on the wall, is filled with chattering voices and the smell of coffee. It is an intimate family gathering. "How is your father?" one guest asks the host, and the mood suddenly changes. Everyone glances at the small room in the corner, where an old man is lying on a colourful bed. "He's still sick," replies his daughter, Mamak Lisa, calmly. Smiling, Mamak Lisa gets up and walks over to the old man, gently shaking him. "Father we have some visitors here to see you - I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable or angry," she says. Then she invites me to step inside and meet Paulo Cirinda.  Most of us don't like to think or talk about death, but there are some people who do. In the Toraja region of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, the dead are a constant part of day-to-day life. My eyes are fixed on the bed. Paulo Cirinda lies completely motionless - not...

Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam Since I was a child, my father sent a money order to the priest at Kamakhya temple every year. In return, after about a month, we used to receive a packed with some prasad and a small piece of red cloth. That’s the only thing I knew about the Ambubachi festival. Later as I read more about the place, the more I was determined to see the event. Attending this festival was in my To-do list since quite some time because of its eccentricity. Last June, I got an opportunity to go to Guwahati for work, right on the time of Kamakhya fair. I’m always very lucky, you know . Ambubachi mela or Ambubasi festival is an annual fair celebrated for four days in Kamakhya temple, Guwahati, Assam during the Assamese month of Aahar (mid-June). It is believed that the presiding deity of the temple Devi Kamakhya (a form of Shakti) goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this period. The temple is closed for three days during t...