It is a festival of a different kind wherein ‘brawling aloud’ by babies of sumo wrestlers is used as a method of offering prayers to the Gods for seeking favors of good health.
The festival which was celebrated on Sunday is an ancient ritual that takes place at the Sensoji temple in the Tokyo district of Asakusa. The sumo wrestlers hold the babies high so that the cries are closer to heaven. The baby that creates the loudest bawl is declared the winner by the Sumo Judge.
The central theme of the 400 year old festival is the belief that it drives away the evil spirits.
Of course the festival has its funnier sides too. At times the events in the festival produces exactly the opposite results, i.e. instead of crying or bawling, the babies start laughing when the parents try to evoke tears with deep growls or wild grimaces. Some of the babies also remain silent.
This hurdle more often than not is overcome by the priest wearing ferocious masks to frighten the babies and induce them to cry.
Some of the cultures are stranger than fiction.
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