Newborn, dead for four days, worshipped in Uttar Pradesh

In an incident that reflects superstition at play with faith, the body of a female baby born with deformity was worshipped at a village in Uttar Pradesh.

The villagers believed that the child which died within half an hour after birth on Saturday was an ‘avatar’ (manifestation of a deity) of the goddess Kali.

The baby’s head and face was black while the rest of the skin on her body was fair.
According to reports, hundreds of people from far away places had been thronging Balrampur village in Kanpur district, about 100 km from here, to have ‘darshan’ of the dead baby.

As soon as the news of the baby’s birth spread, people started thronging the parents house. Within a few hours the place was turned into a virtual ‘mela’ and people jostled with each other to have a glimpse of the dead baby.

The mother of the baby Krishna Devi said she had been flooded with curious people, who told her that the child was the avatar of goddess Kali known to get her name from her skin colour.

Eyewitnesses said that the baby was showered with currency notes. Bhajans and kirtans (religious songs) were also played at the village in front of the house,” they said.

Reports said that the body of the new born had started decaying and foul smell was also emanating from it.