PlayDevotees drop babies 50ft for luck
Published: Thursday, 1 May 2008, 10:26AM
Worshippers at a Muslim shrine in western India have been dropping babies from a tower for good luck.
The "good luck babies" are thrown from a height of 50ft on to a cloth sheet in a bizarre ritual that is thought to bring them good health.
Baby dropping has taken place at the shrine in Solapur, in the state of Maharastra, for over 500 years. It also takes place on special days in other parts of the country.
The ritual is practised by couples who are blessed with a child after taking a vow at the Baba Sheikh Umar Saheb Dargah or temple.
Locals claim there have been no accidents and children thrown from the tower do not suffer from any physical disability.
The ritual is observed by both Muslims and Hindus every year.
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