Kuthiyottam

Kuthiyottam, sometimes spelled Kutiyottam, is a ritual youth dance, and in some cases of mock blood sacrifice,[1] found at annual Pongala festival celebrations at some Hindu temples in Kerala dedicated to Bhadrakali or Durga – a warrior goddess.

[2] This ritual features volunteer teenage or younger boys who live under austere conditions over the festival period in the Malayalam calendar month of Kumbham.

They wear ascetic clothes, abstain from meat and eat simple food, participate in daily prayers in the temple.

These dances are highly energetic, paced to the beat of drums, with singers and feature traditional costumes.

[3] The piercing and blood-related rituals are controversial within Kerala, with officials demanding that they be banned under India's prevention of child abuse laws.