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The festivals are over and some places have strange rituals. In a village in Tamil Nadu, 2000 women were given severe blood-oozing lashings to drive away spirits in them; in a village in Madhya Pradesh, Ravanas men pelt stones. And there is more on how to woo girls, catching liars and how Sodoku can sometimes make you fat. Read on..
When a celebrity in Malaysia was ordered to get four lashes for drinking in public, there was a hue and cry, but how about 2000 women getting gruelling blood-oozing lashes for over five hours in full public view? Well, that was what happened in a remote village in Tamil Nadu.
Beating women can land men in jail, but in the Tamil Nadu village, over 2000 women were flogged as part of a ritual recently.
The group whipping was done by men priests dressed in flowing red robes. They literally cracked the whip on the women in order to drive away the evil spirits from their body. The whipping was also part of a local belief that it would cure girls in their teens of their illnesses.
The whipping ceremony took place on Vijayadashami day in the ancient Sri Achappan Temple at Bavithram Vellalapatti, a remote village situated on the border of Tiruchi and Namakkal districts.
The 2000 women were made to squat in an open ground near the temple and the line of `possessed women' extended over half a kilometre. The priests then came with a thick whip and chanting mantras, they whipped the women for over five hours.
Young girls were seen writhing in pain and they received the lashes. Many were left breathless and some were seen sobbing profusely as they were bleeding in many places on their back and arms. Many were given three to four lashes extra to drive away the 'multiple spirits' that possessed them.
One girl was whipped for not showing interest in studies. The parents believed that the lack of interest was because there was an evil spirit residing in her. She was given a good thrashing, but the young school kid did not know if it was for poor performance in her studies or for an unseen and unheard spirit in her body. All she was keen was to somehow control the searing pain left behind by the lashings.
Some girls who received the lashes were as young as 10-12 years. One girl received lashings for not attaining puberty on time and another for her irregular menstrual periods.
People believe that a few lashes would cure illnesses that afflict women. Some get the lashes as a blessing.
Bavithram Vellalapatti village is probably one of the few places were men can flog women in public in the name of tradition and get away.
Offtrack: 2000 women flogged for 5 hours and more - 1 - News ? MSN India
When a celebrity in Malaysia was ordered to get four lashes for drinking in public, there was a hue and cry, but how about 2000 women getting gruelling blood-oozing lashes for over five hours in full public view? Well, that was what happened in a remote village in Tamil Nadu.
Beating women can land men in jail, but in the Tamil Nadu village, over 2000 women were flogged as part of a ritual recently.
The group whipping was done by men priests dressed in flowing red robes. They literally cracked the whip on the women in order to drive away the evil spirits from their body. The whipping was also part of a local belief that it would cure girls in their teens of their illnesses.
The whipping ceremony took place on Vijayadashami day in the ancient Sri Achappan Temple at Bavithram Vellalapatti, a remote village situated on the border of Tiruchi and Namakkal districts.
The 2000 women were made to squat in an open ground near the temple and the line of `possessed women' extended over half a kilometre. The priests then came with a thick whip and chanting mantras, they whipped the women for over five hours.
Young girls were seen writhing in pain and they received the lashes. Many were left breathless and some were seen sobbing profusely as they were bleeding in many places on their back and arms. Many were given three to four lashes extra to drive away the 'multiple spirits' that possessed them.
One girl was whipped for not showing interest in studies. The parents believed that the lack of interest was because there was an evil spirit residing in her. She was given a good thrashing, but the young school kid did not know if it was for poor performance in her studies or for an unseen and unheard spirit in her body. All she was keen was to somehow control the searing pain left behind by the lashings.
Some girls who received the lashes were as young as 10-12 years. One girl received lashings for not attaining puberty on time and another for her irregular menstrual periods.
People believe that a few lashes would cure illnesses that afflict women. Some get the lashes as a blessing.
Bavithram Vellalapatti village is probably one of the few places were men can flog women in public in the name of tradition and get away.
Offtrack: 2000 women flogged for 5 hours and more - 1 - News ? MSN India