Including Chikkanayakanahalli town, and many other places in the taluk, people are sticking neem sticks into empty coconut shells and keeping them under neem trees to drive away the evil spirits that they believe are causing the Covid-19 crisis.
This practice is also being noticed in districts like Chitradurga, Chikkamagalur and Hassan. First, they perform special rituals using the coconut shell with neem and then place them outside the village under neem trees to ward off evil spirits. They believe that by doing so, the Coronavirus will not enter their village.
Elders in these villages said that it is believed that when humans abuse Mother Earth, She gets angry and unleashes evil spirits that cause pandemics like plague and cholera. Such pandemics had occurred in India decades ago and claimed many lives.
As part of the entire ritual a 'Karaga' -- a practice that pays tribute to the Mother Goddess is being taken out in turns by villagers every Tuesday and Saturday. Amid all this, social distancing is not being adhered to, said certain concerned villagers.
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