BARIPADA: Getting heads tonsured as part of the post-death ritual of a wild animal is unheard of. But residents of Jamuti Munda village in Baidyanath gram panchayat in Karanjia did just that while observing the 10th-day ritual of an elephant calf that died while undergoing treatment.
At least 22 residents of the village got their heads tonsured at a solemn ceremony organised in the village recently. The female calf, aged around eight months, had sustained critical injuries after it was assaulted by some people while it was en route to Champua in Keonjhar district along with a herd of 22 elephants on July 29. Some locals had pelted stones at the calf and her mother when the herd was crossing NH-49 near Singda Chowk.
On July 30, the calf became critical and despite treatment provided by a veterinarian, succumbed to its injuries. The residents of Jamuti Munda erected a memorial for the calf and around 22 of them got their heads tonsured on the 10th day rituals. Ranjit Naik, who got his tonsured said the objective of the ‘pinda dana’ was to show love and respect for the calf. “It may be an animal but deserves as much love, respect and affection as human beings,” he said.