Gaai Gohri: Gujarat, MP allow cows to run over humans in Diwali ritual

In a bizarre ritual indicating human repentance, villagers in Gujarat's Dahod allowed cows and bulls to run over them during 'Gaai Gohri' festival, celebrated on Monday, according to ANI. Visuals show the bulls painted in bright hues of yellow, pink, purple and adorned with peacock feathers running in a frenzy as people lie down blind-folded on the pathway. This ritual observed a day after Diwali is reportedly done to usher in the new year.

Gujarat celebrate 'Gaai Gohri' by allowing cows to trample humans

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MP celebrates 'Gaai Gohri' too

A similar site was seen in Madhya Pradesh's Bhidawad village in Ujjain district on Monday, as per ANI. Villagers have shared to ANI, that the age-old tradition is observed by villagers who fast for 4-5 days prior to the ritual where hundreds of cows are brought. They state that the devotees believe that on being run over by the cows 'over 30 crore deities residing in the cow would bless them, making their wishes come true'.

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Ston-Pelting festival

Previously in August, 120 people had been injured in a 'Stone pelting festival' - Bagwal in Uttarakhand's Champawat. According to ANI, the festival is a yearly tradition held in the district to appease the Goddess Barahi on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Visuals showed villagers shielding themselves with large umbrella-shaped thatched shields as onlookers pelted them with stones.

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Lathmar Holi

Uttar Pradesh's Nandgaon village annually celebrates this festival where women from the neighbouring Barsana village  'beat'  Nanadgaon men with lathis. According to local legends, this festival occurs days preceding Holi, following Lord Krishna's story that he visited his beloved Radha and ended up teasing her friends. The women, as legends claim the women chased Krishna with sticks. This festival is celebrated 4-5 days before Holi in Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and Barsan.

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