People turn to superstitious practices to fight Covid-19

Bengaluru: At the entrance of a remote village in Koppal district, a scarecrow with a full-sleeved shirt, skirt, a stick in hand, stands as a guard. The superstitious farmers had erected it last week when people in the village caught the Covid-19 infection.

Many such scarecrows have been erected in several other villages in remote areas in North Karnataka and they are referred to as ‘Corona Amma’. Residents there say that it has been a tradition for decades when diseases like dengue and malaria were prevalent in the villages.

As the cases of Covid-19 are increasing in villages, more and more people are turning to superstitious practices to keep the virus at bay. Some of the practices are primitive. Videos of a few rituals have also been circulated on social media.

Cactus plants that look similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus are in demand in villages in Mysuru and the Malnad region. Neems leaves are tied to these plants and villages strongly believe that it would stop the infection.

Several people, mostly women, are performing ‘Coronamma’ puja as it would help in eradicating the disease. A ‘Karaga’ is taken out by a few priests in turns in villages and temples, as part of the ritual. These practices are prevalent even in villages near Bengaluru. Priests say that they do this under the pressure from the devotees.

In some districts like Raichur, Yadgir, and Ballari, people are placing palm prints of turmeric paste outside their houses to keep the disease at bay.

Some tribal people in Chamarajanagar are sacrificing roosters or sheep every week to satisfy goddess Maramma to end the pandemic. Also, some people mix rice and animal blood and sprinkle it in the village to eradicate the infection.

People in many villages have been conducting special rituals and ‘havans’. Officials of the social welfare department state that some women take a dip in the local ponds every Friday and offer prayer on the banks by lighting incense, jaggery, and sesame oil. After that, they bury the sacrifice in the ground.

Some people have also made a statue of coronavirus and have worshipped it. They have fed it till it got satisfied and then burnt it. On this, some rationalists said that the government should hold awareness campaigns against this and end such activities that spread superstitions and misinformation.

Ravi Balappa, a rationalist said, “The pandemic has certainly prompted some of the weirdest superstitions and irrational beliefs. Since the government is busy fighting the disease, some NGOs and social organizations should take it on themselves to spread awareness and end these practices.”