>>19316858Incident Description:
A video has been widely shared, showing a man performing rituals while carrying a child’s dead body amidst a large crowd. The misleading claims accompanying the video allege it to be a Hindu child sacrifice ritual.
However, this video is not related to any such ritual but is actually footage from a tribal festival called “Gajan,” celebrated among tribal Hindu communities in rural areas of West Bengal (2/5).
The Truth Unveiled:
Gajan is a festival associated with Lord Shiva, where devotees worship dead bodies in order to appease the deity for favorable rain and harvest. Contrary to the claims, this ritual has nothing to do with sacrificing a child. The child’s dead body, which is worshipped during the festival, is obtained from nearby burial grounds. It is important to note that most of these bodies have not been deceased for more than 1-2 months, with visible facial hair and skin still intact.
Similar rituals exist beyond India, such as the Ma’nene ritual in Indonesia. The Tarojan people there take their deceased loved ones out of coffins, clean them, and dress them in new clothes to honor their lives. These practices highlight the cultural significance of rituals associated with death and commemoration.
