Friday, March 17, 2006

An act of Cruelty

Cattle being forced to walk on fire

Thiee or Poo Mithi (trampling fire) festival is very famous in South India. We all have seen people walk or the burning coals in Television, some movies or in live on some temple festivals. But have u heard of Animals walk on the burning coals? Yes that cruelty has held in “Namakkal” a district in Tamil Nadu.

Nearly 50 head of cattle, mostly oxen, were forced to walk on the glowing coals in the `Poo Mithithal' (trampling fire), an euphemism for the fire walk ritual, at the annual festival of the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple at Urambu village in Namakkal on Tuesday. The cattle owners hauled these frightened animals by their reins on the smouldering coals, which were constantly stoked to retain the fiery heat to seek the blessings of the God. These animals were forced to walk on this rectangular pit raised on the ground near the temple, which was full of burning coals.

The very sad news is that a few animals had lost their balance and fell on the fire thus sustaining severe burns. A few sheep and goats also forced to walk on fire with their owners who guided them through the bed of coals. The `Poo mithithal' ritual is generally restricted to certain limits to human beings in other temples.

The ritual, devotees believed, was to ensure the God's blessings to the animals and their owners too. By walking on the fire, the cattle would be in the pink of their health, and also would help the farmers to carry out a good ploughing in their fields. A few others pulled their well-built bulls on the burning coals to ensure victory in all the forthcoming “jallikatu” (bull taming) festivals. I think these hope are eye closed superstition. We human beings could maintain a balancing act while walking on the fire to minimize the burns whereas the animals could not do. Really it is a act of cruelty to Animals.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Thee midhikanumnaa manushanga midhikka vendiyadhudhaane, paavam maataa pottu padutheettu. Stupid people.

PS: Jeevan, sent you a mail yesterday. Paatheeyaa?

smiley said...

Cows walking on fire
Punniyam for cow owner

ashok said...

thats a sickly superstitious practice...govt shud ban such nonsence taking place in the name of religion...

TamilPonnu said...

what in the hell....

Jeevan said...

Angel – matta piduchi, matta adichi, kadaisiya kollava thunichettanga(pakthinggara parela). Yes Friend, I checked your mail, sure, I will call your dad and talk and tell you. Thanks for your mail:)

Smiley – ivanga nalla irukka, Animals’a kodumai pandranga. U r right.

Ashok – the government dint even take action on jallikatu, were are they going to take action on this.

Kuntal Joisher said...

sometimes I feel, why do we need god?? why do we need religion?? Afterall we just use them for riots, killings, cruelty on animals, spending hours in temple doing nothing.. I think, no religion or god would encourage any practise that would cause harm to any living sentient being.. Its we, us stupid humans who for our own convenience will indulge in acts of cruelty and give it name of god and religion.

Shuuro said...

It is depressing to see people being superstitious. Considering physics, this act does less harm than we imagine but its different, when cattle falls on the burning coal.

Jeevan said...

Tamilponnu - :(

Kunsjoi – first we should kill the people who found the superstition, of sacrificing life of Animals.

Thenextgenerationhub – there are some stupid people in this world. Yes karthikai masam is famous for Lord Muruga. Not only in thirichendur, all murugar temples will be crowded in Karthikai. I think the people took u inside the temple to ask arullvaku form u. haha… very funny.

Shuuro – very bad superstition.

Keshi said...

thats animal cruelty...if the owners believe they get blessings from their Gods, then they themselves should walk on fire without fear..why the poor cows?

Keshi.

Jeevan said...

keshi - u r right.

pqr said...

in MUSCAT ... for eid ...

eating goats and camels are a feast

...first of all i am a vegetarian ..but i can;t refuse their parties ....coz ...they celebrate it with a lot of festivitu and ..it will be like an insult ..

namma culture-la. .nalla naal aniku ..we dunt eat eggs or non veg or OLD food ...

they are opposite ..

depending on how rich the family is ...they buy a LIVE goat or Camel(very expensive)..

they shave the animals hair and then rinse the animal ...and then kill it ..(according to some islamic rule .... there is a particular way of doing it ..)..
it is called HALAL meat. ..meat that is obtained from an animal that has been killed according to some principl..


nyway ...they kill it ...and open
animals TUMMY and fill it with SPICED Rice , veggies , etc ,,and stich it up ...

then they bury the animal and open it the day before or on EID..

by then the animal ..and the contents are cooked ( due to the heat in the earth ...u knw .....it is a desert after all)

and it is a delicacy ..and a royal treat ...

My father had to go for an official EID party ..and they served Camel


I was a HUGE dish and didnt look like an animal only ....
coz ..there was no skin ..... only meat covered in spice ..

Another thing that astonishes me ..is that the volume of their food ..

they start with SOOOOOO many nuts and fruits and juices ...(i am talking about RAMADAN time ...during the IFTAR parties ..when they break the fast ..)
it is soo filling ..and that is supposed to be snacks
then starters ..with some fish rolls ,asmak,,and stuff like tht
then some lite arabic breads and curry and then rice with curry or islamic biryani.(which has all meat from chicken to beef to mutton ..)
and then they'll still snack on salads and corn and nuts ..and then GO FOR THE ROYAL TREAT(i wud say the animal..that has had a royal death ..)and then still have a desert after that ...

and at the end of the day ..
they are slim and trim ..
i think it is bcoz of the exercise they get by doing their prayers ..5 times a day ...
(really ...some doc was saying ...they get a lot of exercise tht way ..)

still i can;t digest what they eat ! lol!

pqr said...

i think i made it too long ...any one wants my 20 metre summary ? ...
:)

srry ..i am known for writing long ..

and my nick - KILLER BORE ...

R Girls said...

cheez this is bad yaar and outrageous. I was so happy when our CM banned this scapegoats in temples stuff and how stupid namma janaga to fight for it.. Is it not enugh that they are eaten and why torchure in multi ways too. Sick of this beliefs.

Jeevan said...

Barbienan - the animals are very sin.

Jeevan said...

Pooja - you know muslis will cook Meat in the death house also (a person who dies).