See how scared that little girl looks. Inhabitants of the tiny village
of Betul in Madhya Pradesh have a really bizarre custom dating back
centuries. They dip their children in cow dung in the belief that the
'purity' of the cow dung will bring their children luck and protect them
from disease.
The practice is followed a day after Diwali - the biggest Indian
celebration, also known as the festival of lights. In the weeks
preceding Diwali, people in the village collect cow dung and store it in
huge piles. A special prayer is offered to the Hindu Gods on the day of
the celebration before people start dipping their children, some still
babies, in the pool of dung.
Villagers gather in groups around the dung waiting their turn to dip
their children, it continues from dusk till dawn till every child in
the village has a go. Villagers say their children have benefited from
the centuries old ritual . The cow is considered one of the most sacred
animals in Hinduism and they are worshipped as revered creatures. Many
Hindu preachers believe that cow urine and dung have medicinal
properties. Meanwhile cow slaughter and the consumption of beef is
banned in certain parts of India.
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