There was a long queue of people, at the Sudhabye pond near Pushkar, who were trying to be free of spirits that have been haunting them by taking a dip in the pond water on Tuesday morning.
This was the occasion of Chauth Mangla fair in Sudhabye, which started early on Tuesday and continued till late evening. Hundreds of people from the rural parts of different districts and even from other states had come here to participate in the ritual. Most of the women in the fair were shouting and screaming while taking a dip in the water.
The fair started even before dawn and mostly women participated. “My daughter was suffering from a spiritual power. I have been to every doctor for the treatment but have got no relief. So, I have come here as suggested by my relatives and hope to get some aid,” said a devotee from Kota.
The allegedly haunted women were forced to take dip in the muddy water. When they denied, others assumed that the spirit does not want to leave the body and they forced the women in the water. “The atmosphere was disturbed by the loud shouts and cries of the women,” said a devotee. He added that it was like hundreds of spirits were coming out of different bodies.
Devotees here also perform a ritual in the pond for their ancestors’ soul to rest in peace. “I had a dream that my father was not in peace and then I consulted a priest, who advised me to perform a ritual in Sudhabye,” said Darshan Singh Jat of Nagaur.
Meanwhile, doctors say that this is a superstition and these people actually have a psychological disorder, so they find help in such blind practices.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Hundreds-gather-to-celebrate-Chauth-Mangla-fair/articleshow/23754122.cms