As burning incense fills the air, devotees in trances force skewers and swords through their cheeks in ritualistic acts underpinning southern Thailand's colourful -- and seemingly painful -- ...

A cheek piercing, sometimes called a dimple piercing, is a piercing on the side of the face, typically right above the side of the mouth where a dimple would naturally indent. It can also be placed ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. On January 17 this year the Hindu Tamil populations of Malaysia, ...

Malaysian Hindus celebrated a scaled-down Thaipusam festival on Tuesday, with limited numbers allowed to take part and with some traditions, such as devotees piercing their cheeks with skewers and ...