Top 10 Weirdest Customs in India

Weirdest customs only happen in India. Photo: Youtube

These 10 'crazy' things in India below will surely give you goosebumps. Witness the unexplored nooks and crannies, away from the sky-high buildings for a taste of the spicy 'desi' flavor. Here are some images of oddly strange practices that will enthrall you because — IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA!

#1. Wedding rings on the feet

Wedding rings in Tamil Nadu are traditionally worn on the "index" toe. The two silver rings that the groom traditionally places at his bride's feet in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Avoid gold rings in this case, as they represent Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. Putting it there could be seen as outrageous because the feet are the lowest part of the body.

The tremendous health benefits of toe rings - Photo: Quora

The uterus is directly linked to the nerve in a woman's second toe. Therefore, it is known that a slight pressure (caused by the toe ring) can control menstruation. As an added bonus, it promotes a healthy uterus. It is said that unmarried women who wear a silver toe ring on their third toe can eliminate or significantly reduce their period pain.

#2. There are special 'nuisance detectors' to fine those spitting in public.

Spitting, public urination, and other forms of littering are all punishable by hefty fines in India, where specialized "spit inspectors" and "nuisance detectors" are used to catch offenders. "banned under a 2006 Mumbai bylaw" means that spitting in public without a spittoon is not allowed.

Photo: Times of India

If you have a habit of throwing trash in areas that aren't intended for it, be careful. Beginning on December 1, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will crack down on people who leave trash in public areas.

#3. Marriage with dogs and other animals

Photo: Pinterest

This is not a festival, but it is still a strange ritual that is still performed today in many parts of India. The more common explanation for this is that some people were born during the dreadful Mangal Dosh astrological combination.

These men, known as Mangliks, are viewed negatively by the women they marry. So they are forced to wed an animal, usually a dog or a goat, in order to escape the terrible fate that their spouses would otherwise have to endure. even a tree at times.

The Manglik is now free to marry whoever they want after a brief prayer and offerings to the gods. Other, less common reasons for animal marriages include when a girl has a deformed face or when her teeth erupt prematurely. Girls naturally get the short end of the stick in this situation, but thankfully, these rituals are becoming less prevalent over time.

#4. Robbers try to steal truckloads of onions

Photo: The Suburbanite

Police in India stopped thieves from fleeing with an onion truck. Because the price of onions had increased, the thieves chose to target them.

A new onion robbery case has surfaced following the theft of a truckload of onions valued at Rs 20 lakh. Because onions have become such a costly commodity, thieves have begun to forego robbing banks in favor of unsuspecting farmers and onion traders.

A farmer in Madhya Pradesh's Richha village has reported that unidentified individuals have stolen onions from his farm. According to the farmer, there were about 6 quintals of stolen onions totaling about Rs 30,000.

#5. Baby throwing or dropping

Photo: ED Times

In this contentious festival, which takes place in Solapur, Maharashtra, parents throw their infants from a tower onto a sheet that is being held by locals. The festival is, to put it mildly, unsettling, but the villagers claim that this ritual bestows long lives on the children. Even though the ritual has been outlawed by the government, there will still be local law enforcement present to handle any issues that may arise.

The ceremony is typically performed by parents who have prayed at the Baba Umer Dargah for their unborn child, but Muslims and Hindus can now participate in it because it is no longer exclusively associated with one religion.

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#6. Men holding hands in public

Photo: Quartz

Men holding hands in the streets are a common sight in India. This could be interpreted as a sign of a specific sexual orientation in some cultures, but in India, it is simply a sign of affection between two true friends. A man and a woman displaying signs of affection for one another is extremely uncommon. They are not supposed to kiss in public.

#7. Thaipoosam

We travel south from Andhra to Tamil Nadu, a state renowned for its share of bizarre festivals. We won't discuss the Jalikattu festival since it recently courted controversy and is already well known to everyone. Thaipoosam, however, is a different festival that is noteworthy for its peculiarity. Kartikeya, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is also known as Murugan in the south, is honored during this festival. It commemorates Kartikeya receiving his celestial lance, which he used to slay Tarakasura's army. The celebrations are intense in order to honor such a difficult feat.

Photo: WordPress

During Thaipoosam, participants fast for a long period of time (usually 48 days), after which they pierce their bodies with lances, skewers, and hooks. In some regions of the state, you can find road processions where devotees pull large objects—even tractors—with the hooks on their skin. They pierce their cheek and tongue, and many of them dance erratically to the beat of other followers' drums and cries.

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#8. Bhai Dooj

Photo: DNA India

Bhai Dooj, also known as Bhaiya Dooj, is a less harmful holiday than tossing infants around aimlessly. As an alternate version of Raksha Bandhan, the festival is well-liked in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

Usually occurring during Diwali festivities, it involves simple rituals like applying vermilion to the brother's forehead and praying to the gods for a long and healthy life for him. However, the festival is viewed differently in some areas of UP and Bihar. In many cultures, sisters will curse and belittle their brothers all day.

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#9. People swallow live fish to cure asthma

Photo: CBS News

India's Goud family claims to have an at-home treatment for asthma that involves inhaling a live fish that has been impregnated with a closely guarded medication.

On Mrigasira day, which falls in June and heralds the start of the monsoon, thousands of people have been assembling once annually in a bylane in Hyderabad's old city to receive a secret herbal remedy that is administered inside a live murrel fish. This practice has been going on for more than 150 years.

#10. Chilies are used as weapons

Photo: The Indian Express

The world's hottest chili, known as "bhut jolokia" or "ghost chili," was converted by the Indian military into a grenade filling instead of tear gas. The bhut jolokia, which is considered to be the hottest chili in the world, could significantly increase the intensity of the spice.

Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), a complex mixture of organic compounds, is the substance that makes chillis active. The Scoville scale, which calculates the amount of dilution required before the heat is no longer discernible to a panel of tasters, is used by connoisseurs to rate the spiciness of chills. According to Wired, bell peppers are rated zero, jalapenos are rated up to 8,000, and habaneros and scotch bonnets are rated a scorching 100,000. On this scale, The Jolokia ranks just over a million.

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