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Thank You, Come Again Part 14: Sholapur’s Baby Dropping Ritual

Kat Path — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:24:25 +0000

Sholapur’s Baby Dropping 2009

Indian officials allowed hundreds of babies to be dropped from the roof of a mosque in the belief it would ensure good health and prosperity.

The ritual at the Baba Umer Durga, a Muslim shrine, is believed to have been followed for nearly 700 years, and each year hundreds of people, both Hindus and Muslims, take part.

Infants, most under two years old, are dangled from the roof of the shrine near Sholapur, 450km south of Mumbai, before being dropped about 15m onto a bedsheet held aloft by parents and other believers.

Television channels showed the babies screaming as they were shaken in the air before being dropped.

Officials said there had been no reports of any injuries at this year’s event.

‘Irrational’ behaviour

With high child mortality rates, especially in India’s rural areas, many people resort to rituals which they believe can ensure their children’s health.

Children’s rights activists expressed outrage after the Headlines Today television channel showed the babies being dropped.

“This shows the complete failure of the local administration to prevent this practice and to create awareness about children’s health,” said Ranjana Kumari, a civil rights activist in New Delhi.

“It is also a reflection of the lack of access to health services, that forces people to behave in this irrational manner,” Kumari said.

India’s National Commission for Protection of Child’s Rights issued a notice to the local administration in Sholapur and has begun investigations into the practice.

I don’t think access to health service for kids will help this issue; if you are stupid enough to think that dropping your few months old baby from 50 feet, causing him a whiplash and possible permanent brain injuries will ensure his health then go ahead you don’t need medical access.

Have you notice that this year they shake the babies before dropping them? Why is that? They also have clothes and seem a bit older… Of maybe it was simply the 2nd group, the 1 and up?

Sholapur’s Baby Dropping 2008

Thank You, Come Again Part 13: Naked Girls Plow Fields for Rain

Kat Path — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:58:28 +0000

Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plow parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said on Thursday.

Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar state plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.

“They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains,” Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar’s remote Banke Bazaar town.

“This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily.”

Thank You, Come Again Part 12: Longest ear hair

Kat Path — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:18:58 +0000

Accordng to the Guinness World Records, the record for the Longest Ear Hair goes to Anthony Victor (Madurai, India) has hair sprouting from the centre of his outer ears (middle of the pinna) that measures 18.1 cm (7.12 in) at its longest point.

Thank You, Come Again Part 11: Driving in India FAIL

Kat Path — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:42:14 +0000

This is what driving in India look like. No wonder they all fail their driving courses in America.

Thank You, Come Again Part 10: Buy you own Oscar Child

Kat Path — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:49:59 +0000

Rafiq Qureshi, the father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a (Slumdog) millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.

As he offered the shocking deal to the News of the World’s undercover fake sheik this week, Rafiq declared: “I have to consider what’s best for me, my family and Rubina’s future.”

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses for forcing him to put his daughter up for SALE.

As he tried to fix the illegal adoption deal, real-life slum dweller Rafiq declared: “We’ve got nothing out of this film.”

“This family wanted to take Rubina abroad. They agreed to come to Mumbai to discuss the adoption in May.

“But the approach has made Rafiq very greedy and he has said that he will consider the highest offer for his child. But they realize that the money will soon stop coming in and Rafiq is open to all offers.”

News of the World investigator made contact with Rafiq and said we had heard he was considering having Rubina adopted. He told Rafiq he was acting for a wealthy Arab sheik who wanted to take the youngster to live with him 2,000 miles away in Dubai.

Rafiq replied: “Yes, we are considering Rubina’s future.

“Why don’t you speak to my brother-in-law, Rajan, and he will discuss it with you? I will ask him to call you.”

Rubina’s uncle Rajan More – who speaks good English – confirmed: “Yes, we are interested in securing our girl’s future.

“Rubina’s life is miserable and she lives here with her stepmother. Most of the time she stays with me because she is not happy at her parents’ home.

“Obviously if you wanted to adopt we could discuss this, but her parents would also expect some proper compensation in return. We are talking of around £50,000 for this to happen.” In another phone call, father Rafiq coolly confirmed: “Whatever you have discussed with Rajan, I agree with. Whatever money is agreed by Rajan, I will accept.

“We can discuss everything about this deal when we meet. There’s a lot of interest in Rubina, she’s become very famous.”

Without querying the background, intentions, or even the names of Rubina’s prospective new parents, Rafiq arranged to meet them.

Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced darling of the Oscars Rubina up for adoption, demanding “It’s 20 million rupees, £200,000.” (In fact 20 million rupees is £270,000, but their calculations were wrong.). That was an astonishing FOURFOLD increase on his opening demand. But Rafiq’s equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: “The child is special now. This is NOT an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!”

Thank You, Come Again Part 9: Boy get Married to Dog, to Prevent Tiger Attacks

Kat Path — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:51:51 +0000

An infant boy was married off to his neighbors’ dog in eastern India by villagers who said it will stop the groom from being killed by wild animals, officials and witnesses said Wednesday.

Around 150 tribespeople performed the ritual recently in a hamlet in the state of Orissa’s Jajpur district after the boy, who is under two years old, grew a tooth on his upper gum.

The Munda tribe see such a growth in young children as a bad omen and believe it makes them prone to attacks by tigers and another animals. The tribal god will bless the child and ward off evil spirits after the marriage.

“We performed the marriage because it will overcome any curse that might fall on the child as well on us,” the boy’s father, Sanarumala Munda, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper.

The groom, Sagula, was carried by his family in procession to the village temple, where a priest solemnized the marriage between Sagula and his bride Jyoti by chanting Sanskrit hymns, a witness said.

The villagers then ate a feast with rich food and alcohol to celebrate.

The dog belongs to the groom’s neighbors and was set free to roam around the area after the ceremony. No dowry was exchanged, the witness said, and the boy will still be able to marry a human bride in the future without filing for divorce.

Indian law does not recognize weddings between people and animals, but the ritual survives in rural and tribal areas of the country where millions are illiterate.

Thank You, Come Again Part 8: The Smell of Stupidity

Kat Path — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:45:05 +0000

Jain Dharma Monks

Monks of the Jain Dharma (a minority religion in India) are forbidden to bathe any part of their bodies besides the hands and feet, believing the act of bathing might jeopardize the lives of millions of microorganisms.

It probably smell worst then it sounds.

Thank You, Come Again Part 7: Donkeys get married, to bring rain

Kat Path — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:43:57 +0000

Residents of India’s southern city of Bangalore have married off two donkeys, in the hope that the ancient ritual will usher in good monsoon rains.

Though monsoons have hit southern India, Bangalore is still waiting for its first showers and residents decided to invoke the ritual – detailed in Hindu scriptures – after their prayers failed to deliver.

Two donkeys – the bride Ganga and the groom Varuna – tied the knot at a temple on the city outskirts to loud cheers of about 100 guests, who attended the ceremony.

Rains are crucial in India, as the majority of the country’s population of over 1 billion depends on agriculture and farming.

The happy couple – who wagged their tails, oblivious to the commotion – were married off in a traditional Hindu ceremony, with the bride clad in a green silk sari with gold zari.

‘Praying for rain’

Great attention was also paid to ritualistic details such as the perfect invitation card, the right wedding attire and the freshest flowers.

Sunshine is forecast for the next five days

A traditional band entertained the guests, who sprinkled the newlyweds with flowers.

“We are praying for rains. We need rains, hope gods are pleased and it rains in Bangalore today,” Manjual, one of the guests, told Reuters news agency.

Only at one point did the groom get restless: when his attendant tied the holy threads around his hind and fore legs.

The guests, each of whom contributed to the marriage expenses, were later treated to a traditional meal at the temple.

Before leaving the ceremony, everybody was hopeful it would start raining soon.

Meanwhile, the BBC’s weather forecast suggested unbroken sunshine in Bangalore until Sunday at the earliest.

Thank You, Come Again Part 6: Frogs get married, to summon rain

Kat Path — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:36:40 +0000

Barun and Bijuli at the wedding ceremony. Or maybe Bijuli and Barun, we're not entirely sure.

It’s a nice day for a green wedding – as two frogs got married in front of over 2,000 wedding guests in India.

The frogs were joined in matrimony in a traditional ceremony in Hengrabari, in the northwestern Indian state of Assam. It wasn’t the result of an amphibian romance, however, and neither of the frogs turned into a prince after being kissed.

Instead, it was an attempt to end the dry spell that has hit most parts of Assam over the past months, which has led to severe water shortages.

” It’s a traditional belief that when a frog marriage is performed, the Barun Devata [the rain-god] is pleased and the rain comes,” former councillor Bijoy Das told The Hindu newspaper.

The wedding of the frogs – male Barun (meaning wind) and female Bijuli (meaning thunder) – was accompanied by all the traditions of Assamese weddings, including songs and gifts presented to the bride.

The amphibians were then fed a special celebratory lunch of flies and mosquitoes. After the ceremony, the happy couple were sent on their honeymoon – by being released into a local stream.

A spokesman for the local authorities said: “The marriage went off very well. We hope that now the rains will finally come. The region is absolutely parched and we need rain. We didn’t know what else to do.”

The news was not so good, however, for a male toad who attended the ceremony, who died during the proceedings. We think “Kermit” suicide.

Thank You, Come Again Part 4: Phone lines in India

Kat Path — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:18:32 +0000

And you where wondering how come you don’t understand a thing when you reach for favorite call center in India. Well wonder no more.

Thank You, Come Again Part 3: How can she slap me?

Kat Path — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:03:45 +0000

Esha The Goddess Smacked by Contestant on Dadagiri. Dadagiri is a game show on the Indian channel Bindass. Yes it’s in inglish.

You can also look at the Goddess TV spot.

Thank You, Come Again Part 2: Indian man has married a DOG

Kat Path — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:00:06 +0000

An Indian man has “married” a female dog, hoping the move will help atone for stoning two other dogs to death.
P Selvakumar, 33, said he had been cursed since the killings, suffering paralysis and a loss of hearing.

The wedding took place at a Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu state. The “bride” wore an orange sari with a flower garland and was fed a bun to celebrate.

Superstitious people in rural India sometimes organise weddings to animals in the hope of warding off curses.

‘Tried every cure’

Crowds cheered the newly-weds at the end of the ceremony in Sivaganga district, about 50km (30 miles) east of the city of Madurai.

The “bride”, who is called Selvi, was led to the temple in Manamudurai wearing a sari before vows were exchanged in a traditional Hindu ceremony.

A relative of the groom who attended the wedding said he hoped Mr Selvakumar would now be cured.

“Fifteen years back Selvakumar was physically fit. But, once he attacked a pair of dogs and thereafter Kumar could not move his limbs freely,” the relative, Ramu, told the BBC.

“He tried every cure for his ailment but could not be rid of his disability.

“On the advice of an astrologer and others, he decided to marry a bitch to get cured. Then we arranged Selvakumar’s marriage with a bitch.”

Thank You, Come Again Part 1: The Singhsons

Kat Path — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:22:40 +0000

For 2009 I present you a brand new series of articles on India. To give you a little taste of it here are The Singhson.