A temple where devotees offer Crabs to Lord Shiva

While devotees are generally known for offering flowers, incense sticks, fruits, and milk to deities at temples, the devotees at a Lord Shiva temple in Gujarat offer crabs.

On the occasion of Makar Sankranti season that usually falls in mid-January, hundreds of devotees make a beeline at this temple with their offerings of live crabs. Read More................A temple where devotees offer crabs to Lord Shiva

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

At this temple, devotees offer brooms to deity

Devotees come with brooms and line up at a 10-year-old temple in Uttar Pradesh everyday - not to clean the premises but to offer the 'jhadus' to the deity, Hindu god Shiva.

At the Shivpataaleshwar temple in Beehajoi village near Moradabad, some 250 km from state capital Lucknow, people offer brooms in the belief it will appease Shiva and ward off skin ailments, heath disorders and also make their wishes come true. Read More................At this temple, devotees offer brooms to deity

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

Sacrificing for Lord Shiva

In this ritual, men in a remote village in India's eastern Jharkhand state pierce their bodies with iron hooks and hang 90 feet above the ground from them. See the video & article here.........Sacrificing for Lord Shiva

Read Also............Jharkhand tribals suspend themselves 90 feet above ground to please their god

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

Two Devotees of Shiva Jump Into Fire

In a case of alleged self-sacrifice out of superstitious devotion, two people jumped onto a ritualistic fire lighted in connection with Maha Sivaratri festival at a remote village in Andhra Pradesh's Adilabad district.

Devidas (23) and Sitaram (30) had been observing 'Siva Deeksha,' a religious vow for a period of 40 days, and they jumped onto the fire during 'jagran' (a ritual of remaining awake during the night of Sivaratri) at Shivnoor village in Jainoor mandal of the district late on Monday night, police officials told PTI over phone. Read More................Two Devotees of Shiva End Life by Jumping Into Fire in Hyderabad

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

People turn into 'Ghosts' to appease God

In Jharkhand state of India, in a ritual to propitiate Lord Shiva, some residents have been "transforming" themselves into ghosts throughout the Hindu month of Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April) during religious ceremonies to get their wishes fulfilled.

The ritual, part of the Koka festival, is observed by thousands in Tamar block, 70 km from state capital Ranchi, and nearby villages. The festival is celebrated over three months. Read more..................People turn into 'ghosts' to appease Lord Shiva

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

Baby with abnormal features deified in Jharkhand

Isn't it Weird that a child born with medical deformities is treated as an incarnation of God in India. Take the case of this girl child born with three eyes and two noses, who has been attracting hordes of people who believe her to be an incarnation of Hindu god Shiva.

The birth of the 'wonder girl' in Angara block of Ranchi created quite a stir last week with villagers queuing up for a glimpse of the baby."People from far-flung areas are coming for a glimpse of my daughter. Why has god played such a cruel joke with me by giving me a daughter with abnormal features," rued Sukhlal Mahto, the girl's father. Read more.........................................Baby with abnormal features deified in Jharkhand

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

Free sale of Marijuana in Jharkhand

Though it may be a crime to possess & consume marijuana in US & in many of the countries on earth but as per a report it's selling freely in Deoghar district of Jharkhand state of India & all that in the name of religion.

As per the Hindu religious beliefs, month of Shravan (mid-July to mid-August) is considered very auspicious by the worshippers of Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction as per Hindu mythology & this brings cheers to marijuana sellers in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.

During this period, millions of devotees clad in saffron walk, at times barefoot, to pour water on the Shiva Linga at the Baidyanath temple in Deoghar, 350 km from here. Smoking ganja (marijuana) is popular among the pilgrims.

According to one estimate, devotees consume 20-25 kg of marijuana every day.

"Marijuana is liked by Lord Shiva. There is nothing wrong in smoking ganja. It makes the 110 km journey from Sultanganj in Bihar to Deoghar easy," said Nutan, a pilgrim.
Marijuana is grown in 10 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. There are also reports of Maoist guerrillas patronizing marijuana cultivation.

The police are aware of the illegal sale of the drug but turn a blind eye, media reports say.

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

God has disappeared

Amarnath is one of the most famous of Hindu shrines / temples. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva & is located in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It is said that this temple is around 5000 years old. Every year about 400,000 people visit the temple during the 45 day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July-August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shravan. It is located in the mountains of Himalayas & inside the Amarnath Cave lies the ice Shiva Lingam, a natural formation of an ice stalagmite in the form of lingam.

This year the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath commenced on First of July with nearly 13000 devotees leaving for the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. But to the disappointment of the devotees, the naturally-formed ice Shiva lingam at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir has completely melted. It is said that stalagmite that is worshipped as a Hindu god has melted away because of the body heat of thousands of people visiting it.

The CEO of the Amarnath Shrine Board, Arun Kumar has also confirmed that main shivling at Amarnath has melted away.

Is it the result of Global Warming or due to the body heat of thousands of people visiting it? May be its a result of both or else God is annoyed with the devotees / humanity & has disappeared just before the pilgrimage has started!!!

Why it disappeared?

As per on Star News TV report today, in the month of April -May much before the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath yatra / pilgrimage began, many Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), jawans / personnel, visited the Ice Lingam / Stalagmite & in the religious fervor went near to it, touched it, hugged it & even lighted Diyas ( Diya is a contracted form of deep or light given by small earthen pots, with wick made of cotton and dipped in ghee) just below the Ice Lingam / Stalagmite.

It is also learnt that around 55,000 people have visited the shrine much before the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath yatra began.

It is quite evident that heat of Diyas & the activities of hugging etc. of CRPF, jawans / personnel might have caused the melting of Ice Lingam / Stalagmite. Such acts of CRPF personnel are not as per the rules of the shrine board as board does not allow any person to go near the Lingam, touch it, hug it or light any flammable object near it which can cause harm to it. Such acts of CRPF personnel need to be investigated so that it cannot cause injury to the faith of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who devotedly visit it every year.

It also needs to be investigated how "Amarnath Shrine Board" has allowed these CRPF personnel & other people to visit the shrine before the annual pilgrimage started.

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail

Wearing ghost costumes during worship

In India there is a tribal clan "Mahto" in Jharkhand state's Tamad village which has a unique traditional festival known as "Koka", in which the participants wear ghost costumes and dance to look like as the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva.

During the festival dummy ghosts or "Kokas" attracts attention of a lot of tribals interested in Tantrik rituals. Locals dressed as dummy ghosts lead the procession and the "Kokas" are regarded as a part of Lord Shiva's marriage entourage.

"It has been practiced for generations. I believe it's been now nearly 1000 years or even more. I have been observing this festival since 1963 as a nine-year old. All said and done, it is a major festival," said Rattan Lal Rai, a "Koka".

Many persons disguise their appearance since the belief is that if one makes a vow to the Lord for some favor, the person has to put on such looks for a particular number of times. They believe that the God listens to their vows and fulfills them!

People from far and near gather for a memorable glimpse of "Kokas". None of the participants is afraid of having any nightmare since a "Kokas", the dummy ghost is a devout Bhakta / Devotee of Lord Shiva.

Link

Get Weird India Updates by e-mail