Religious rituals

Sky burial is a Tibetan custom for giving back the earthly remains after death, when the soul has left the body for reincarnation. The body is simply sliced open and offered to waiting vultures that rip the flesh from the bones within minutes. Afterwards, the bones, along with the skull and brain, are smashed to pieces with an axe and mixed with barley flour and again offered to the still waiting vultures. Besides being a mind blowing experience (and not for the faint hearted), it's also a very rare opportunity to get close to these monster birds of prey, some of them very rare (such as Black and Bearded vultures). Remember this is not a tourist attraction and an invitation should be obtained before attending. (The picture was taken with permission from the descendants).

Superstition can be powerful. When mixed with religion you get some amazing, and sometimes odd things. In El Quiche, a satellite suburb of Quito, one of these odd traditions take place. 7 days a week (busiest on the weekends) Quito-ites drive to the tiny town, with its miracle granting 'church', in order to have their newly purchased car blessed by a priest. While the idea itself can seem quite odd to some people, it seems commonplace to locals who line up (sometimes for hours) to ensure a happy ride and a long life. It's not much of a show, but what the tradition lacks in grandeur it makes up for in quirkiness. The perfect getaway for those looking for something just a little bit different.

Sufism is an ancient practice of Islamic mysticism, which involves smoking of hashish and dancing to hypnotic drumbeats. The sufis will get into a state of trance before getting up and dance. Some will even spin at high speed, including the drummer that will tap in sync. It's an absolutely mind blowing experience to watch, but can be hard to find on your own. "Sufi nights" usually take place on Thursday nights from 9pm to midnight at one of the Sufi shrines, like Baba Shah Jamal, and it can get very crowded.
The picture is from a sufi event in Greater Iqbal Park, Lahore.

Filipinos are naturally very superstitious people. People from all classes and walks of life will happily tell you about the various different goblins and flying demons they have seen and believe in. This is perhaps why the practice of psychic surgery has become so popular. During an "operation", the psychic surgeon's finger penetrates the patient's skin and extracts bad energy that is making them ill, materialised into some sort of bloody lump. It leaves a bit of blood but no scars. No matter how much you bend over and get up close while watching an operation, it really does appear that the surgeon's finger is inside the patient. However, a couple of documentaries have proved that the psychic surgeons they followed were just scammers. There are plenty more of these people out there though and one thing is for sure: the man who performed the "operation" pictured was working for free in a church in a poor area of Manila, "operating" on patients because of his and their belief that it would help them.

Once a year, the war god Kataragama, son of Shiva, is celebrated in the streets of Colombo. Hindu devotees honour him and pray for his healing and blessing through a rough day of sacrifices. Some worshippers are pierced through their mouthes and tongues and hung by huge hooks pierced through the skin of their backs, while others, also tongue pierced, roll all the way to the temple. Everyone can participate as the audience is getting blessed by the self-sacrificed disciples. A hand on the head and some holy dust in the hair and Kataragama's strong power might be transferred. It's a holy madness that only Hindus can make sense of and a not-to-be-missed experience.