A spine chilling incident has sparked outrage across Tamil Nadu. In a viral video monks were seen dancing wildly holding human body parts dug-up from the graves. Five individuals have been booked for exhuming human remains and using them in a ritual.
The alleged incident occurred during the annual Kodai festival at the Sudalaimadasamy Temple in Veeravanallur, Tirunelveli district. According to reports the incident took place late at night on June 6. The dance was performed as part of a controversial ritual known as Samakottai Vettai.
Accused believed to be temple Saints
According to police reports, the accused is believed to be temple saints also known as ‘samiyaadis’. They entered a nearby crematorium and retrieved body parts from a half-burnt corpse. The police further informed that they allegedly returned to the temple with the human remains. This includes a skull, a severed hand, and other body parts.
After collecting the body parts, the monks performed a ritualistic dance offering it to the village deity. The ceremony, witnessed by hundreds of devotees. The ritual was also recorded and shared widely on social media, causing widespread shock and condemnation.
Wild Dance Video goes Viral
The visuals from the viral video show the saints dancing wildly in a trance-like state. The monks were seen brandishing machetes and holding body parts while devotees looked on. Furthermore, a chilling photograph accessed by media outlets shows human remains being placed on banana leaves and mud pots as part of the offering.
According to the police, the ritual is rooted in oral legends associated with the deity Sudalai Madan. The ritual has been carried out in symbolic form at most temples in recent years. However, in this case, the ritual reportedly involved the actual use of human remains, prompting legal action.
Practice is illegal, says Police
Tirunelveli police said such practices, though claimed to be part of religious rituals, are illegal. “These monks go to graveyards, dig up human bodies, and use parts like hand and leg for their rituals. This is not correct. So we have registered an FIR,” a police officer said.
Furthermore, an FIR has been registered under four sections of the Indian Penal Code, 2023. Section 270 (public nuisance), BNS 272 (acts likely to spread infection), BNS 301 (trespassing into a cemetery), and Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Loss and Damage) Act.
