Top 10 painful religious practices of the world

 
8. Sun Dance

 

 Sun Dance is a part of many cultures' ceremonial protocols.

The Native Americans, the First Nations People and many other contemporary cultures indulge in this practice in order to offer self sacrifice, as they believe this prospers the family of the doer and the whole community.

Sun Dance is performed differently by each tribe but flesh offering is a common feature that every tribe indulges in.

At a traditional Sun Dance ceremony, drums are played, prayers with pipes are made and fasting is done.

But the agonizing part of this ceremony is skin offering.

Young men who participate in this get their chests pierced by skewers causing extreme pain and they are supposed to break free of these skewers by tearing them through their skin.

 
9. Baby Throwing




This might be the ultimate bizarre tradition.

Babies in Karnataka are tossed from about three storeys from a temple roof off the ground.  

Locals in the village of Nagrala believe the ritual brings health and good luck to the children.

Most of the children are less than 2 years of age.

Children are tossed by a man from the temple roof into the blankets below.

 
10. Teeth Chiselling

 


This is a ritual which is practiced by the Mentawaian Tribe of Indonesia and is specifically for the women.

The tribe believes that by chiselling or sharpening the teeth of young women, they become more attractive and a balance develops between the body and the soul.

Its procedure is undergone by using a crude blade which sharpens the teeth, carves the corners of teeth and at last they are filed to give the desired shape.