TUMAKURU: Residents exhumed the skeleton of a man and burnt the skull as part of a ritual to appease the rain gods at Anekatte village in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk about 80 km from here.
The incident reportedly took place three days ago and came to light on Friday when the video was circulated on the 'Anakatte Boys' WhatsApp group.
They exhumed the skeletal remains of Mallegowda, also known as Gudi Gowda (70), head of the village’s temple, who died a couple of years ago.
As the area was reeling under perennial drought, villagers approached a soothsayer who said the rain god had turned averse to the village as the body of a man with Leucoderma was buried instead of setting on fire.
As Mallegowda’s sons were not living in the village, residents took his relatives' permission to dig the grave, sources said.
They poured salt on the skull and burned it for 72 hours. Villagers also conducting a ‘havan’ and other rituals at the Basavannagudi temple, a source said.
Interestingly, a group of villagers also visited the Rushyasringa temple at Kigga near Shringeri in Chikkamagaluru district which is dedicated to rain god and brought holy water to the village.
They believe that pouring the holy water into the village which is dry will help bring rains.
Speaking to Express, Tahsildar R Gangesh said he had summoned the people of the village who were involved in the act and advised them not to go perform such rituals in future.