BENGALURU: Mysterious flowers in unopened coconuts, sudden rush of blood from the sacred one’s feet, or sleeping on a bed of nails, fail to fascinate this science-enthusiast from Diu.
He is in Class 11, but well-prepared to bust “mystical events” that take many a devotee by surprise. Hasan Ali, along with his mentor Rachana Shah from the Government Higher Secondary School, Diu, grabbed eyeballs when they busted some “divinity” at the Children’s Science Congress exhibition which concluded on Sunday.
“One only has to know how to balance his or her weight equally on the bed of nails, and voila! no injuries,” said Hasan.
It is not milk that seers dip their feet in before they walk on the yellow cloth, but dip the feet in water mixed with Calcium Carbonate, which is white in colour. The cloth which is doused in turmeric. Calcium Carbonate with the turmeric gives the colour red, which makes people believe that it is blood flowing from the saint’s foot.
Rachana said it was vital to have these exercises and bring an awareness in Diu, where people end up losing money to quacks. “It upsets me when people lose their health by entrusting it to the pseudo-godmen instead of getting treated at hospitals,” she added.