A 24-year-old Indian man has been hospitalized after he allegedly cut off his tongue as an offering to the Hindu goddess Kali Mata, to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Indian identified as Vivek Sharma is a young stone sculptor working in Suigam, India’s Gujarat state.
Frustrated about not being able to return to his home town in Madhya Pradesh because of nationwide lockdowns, Sharma reportedly chopped off his own tongue at a temple, as an offering to Hindu goddess Kali Mata, to stop the spread of the virus.
Apparently, his sacrifice has proven to be in vain.
Last week, Vivek, who was working on an extension of the Bhavani Mata temple in Suigam along with eight other stone workers, told his colleagues he was going to the market during his break period.
His cellphone was called after he failed to return back to work on time, but his call was answered by a stranger who said Vivek had been found unconscious in a nearby temple with his tongue cut off.
The devout Hindu was reportedly found on the floor of the Nadeshwari Temple, and then taken to a hospital in Tharad where doctors attempted to reattach his tongue.
However, it is unknown if the medical procedure was successful or if the 24-year-old will ever be able to speak again.
Although he has not been able to give a report to the police, a source in the police department told the Times of India that Sharma had cut out his tongue as a sacrifice to Kali Mata.
The source said;
We found him lying unconscious in the temple premises with the tongue in his hand.
A police sub inspector HD Parmar told the Times of India that;
For the last few days, he was keen to go back to his native town in Madhya Pradesh. But it was impossible due to lockdown. Today, in reckless abandon, he chopped off his tongue. Only after thorough investigation we will know the exact reason for such a step.
One of Vivek’s co-workers, Brijesh Singh Saab Singh, told authorities that Sharma, a devotee of Kali Mata, had been chanting the deity’s name for a while before the incident occurred.
