Guest guest Posted January 1, 2003 Report Share Posted January 1, 2003 This article is not for the faint-hearted. http://galileo.spaceports.com/~samy/shakti.htm In the Name of Kali, Most Gracious, Most Merciful by Samata Ullah Last updated on 25th July 2002 Kali is a Hindu Goddess of destruction, her followers in the West tend to be New Ager's and sub-sects of Hinduism, such as Tantriks. Many things are not known about this Goddess, such as the fact that even today many people perform human sacrifice to please her, even less known is the fact that this human sacrifice is commanded in a Tantrik book dedicated to Kali worship called the "Kali Purana". This article centers on this gruesome practice of human sacrifice to appease Kali which was the inspiration for the Thugees of British India who killed and then sacrificed people for Kali. The Kali Purana is included in the orthodox canon of "divinely revealed" Hindu scriptural books called the Puranas. As a result any Hindu regardless if he is Tantrik or a normal Hindu can follow this book. Hindu fatalism plays an important role in the mentality behind human sacrifice since these people think they will see the sacrificed person again, i.e. the reincarnation cycle: ....death is certain for the one who is born, and birth is certain for the one who dies. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable. All beings are unmanifest, or invisible to our physical eyes before birth and after death. They manifest between the birth and the death only. What is there to grieve about? (Bhagavad Gita 2:26-28) This article will begin by citing some modern-day examples of humans sacrifice to Kali and then will show how it was commanded in the Hindu Kali Purana (which is not followed by all Hindus, only by choice by people who want to worship Devi, Durga better known as Kali) but first an explanation of why human sacrifice is performed in various societies: "The killing of a human being, or the substitution of an animal for a person, has often been part of an attempt to effect communion with a god and participation in his divine life. The offering of human life, as the most valuable material for sacrifice, in an attempt at expiation, has also occurred. Human sacrifices have been offered in return for victory in war. The killing of prisoners of war was once a common custom." "Human sacrifice, practiced in Vedic India, was continued later by the followers of the goddess Kali, to whom a male child was sacrificed every Friday evening." [1] Here is a particular gruesome example of human sacrifice being practised in the guise of Kali Dharma (law and religion): “Two horrifying incidents of human sacrifice, involving a 55-year-old trader and an eight-year-old boy, has come to light recently. The first one, that of a Calcutta-based trader, occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi: Ram Sevak Chowhan's family beheaded him, ate his flesh and danced around with his blood smeared on their body. They also chopped off the tongues of his two daughters-in-law. Varanasi Deputy Inspector General of Police Shailaja Kumar Mishra said the incident occurred on the night of April 2. Chowhan, who lived in Garkhada village with his second wife, two sons, their wives and granddaughter, decided to conduct a special puja for Goddess Durga. Accordingly, Chowhan and his family went to a nearby pond, stripped and began the puja. Suddenly Meena, Chowhan's daughter-in-law, said she was possessed by the spirit of his first wife. She claimed that the spirit demanded a human sacrifice. With nary any hesitation, the group choose Chowhan's granddaughter as the sacrificial lamb. The trader objected, offering himself in her stead. The family -- by now in a frenzy -- did not mind. They dragged him to the altar and beheaded him. The police said the family then ate his flesh, smeared themselves with his blood, chopped off the daughters-in-law's tongues and went on dancing through the night. The crime came to light when the village chowkidar spotted them washing off blood in the pond. The police have taken into custody the six surviving members of the family. Villagers and neighbours said they had not noticed anything abnormal in the family's behaviour before. The second incident was reported in West Bengal where an eight-year-old boy was beheaded and his blood offered in prayer by two tantriks. Mithun Naskar of Barpunnua village in 24 Parganas (south) district went missing on March 26. His mutilated body was recovered from a nearby jungle. Allegations of human sacrifice have been raised many times against the villagers. State Director General of Police Dipak Sanyal said Mithun was lured to the jungle by Sudarshan Sardar and his disciple Kartik Bairagi. Bairagi beheaded him after keeping him captive for a day. His blood was collected in a vessel and offered to the Goddess Kali (another name for Durga). The police have arrested the two tantriks.” [2] (More links on occurrences of humans sacrifice in India can be found at the bottom of the page) Scriptural justification in the Kali Purana This text is cited from a book entitled "Riddles in Hinduism" written by one of the founders of modern India's constitution, B.R Ambedkar. Speaking of the Rudhir Adhyaya (chapter of blood) in his book he quotes from the Kali Purana where human sacrifice is preached: Having started drinking and flesh eating the Brahmins did not hesitate to write puranas advocating animal sacrifices. One such Purana requires a special mention. It is called the Kali Purana. This Purana is written with the express purpose of propagating the worship of the goddess Kali. In this Purana there is an adhhyaya called Rudhir Adhhyaya which means the bloody chapter. I give below a summary of the Rudhir Adhhyaya. In this chapter the God Shiva addresses his three sons Betal, Bhairawar, and Bhairava in the following terms: "I will relate you, my sons, the ceremonies and rules to be observed in sacrifices which being duly attended to are productive of the divine favour. "The forms laid down in the Vaishnaivi Tantra, are to be followed on all occasions and may be observed by sacrifices to all Deities." "Birds, tortoise, allegators, fish, nine species of wild animals, buffaloes, bulls, he-goats, inchneumons, wild boars, rhinoceroses, antelopes, guanas, reindeer, lions, tigers, men and blood drawn from the offerer's own body, are looked upon as proper oblations to the Goddess Chandica, the Bhairavas &c." "It is through sacrifices that princes obtain bliss, heaven, and victory over their enemies." "The blood of the wild bull and Guana give pleasure for one year, and that of the antelope and wild boar for twelve years. The Sarabhas blood satisfies the Goddess for twenty-five years, and buffalo's and rhinoceros's blood for a hundred, and that of the tiger an equal number. That of the lion, reindeer, and the human species produces pleasure, which lasts a thousand years. The flesh of these, severally, gives the pleasure for the same duration of time as their blood. Now attend to the different fruits attending an offering of the flesh of a rhinoceros or antelope, as also of the fish called Rohita." "The flesh of the antelope and rhinoceros pleases the Goddess five hundred years and the Rohita fish and Bardhrinasa give my beloved (i.e. the Goddess Cali) delight for three hundred years." "A spotless goat, who drinks only twice in twenty-four hours, whose limbs are slender, and who is the prime among a herd, is called Bardhrinasa, and is reckoned as the best of Havyas (i.e. offerings to the Deities) and Cavyas, (i.e. offerings to the deceased progenitors)." "The bird whose throat is blue and head red and legs black with white feathers, is called also Barshrinasa, and is king of the birds, and the favourite of me and Vishnu." "By a human sacrifice attended by the forms laid down, Devi is pleased one thousand years and by sacrifice of three men, one hundred thousand years. By human flesh, Camachya, Chandica, and Bhairava who assumes my shape, are pleased one thousand years. An oblation of blood which has been rendered pure by holy texts, is equal to ambrosia; the head also afford much delight to the Goddess Chandica. Let therefore the learned when paying adoration to the Goddess, offer blood and the head, and when performing the sacrifices to fire, make oblations of flesh. "Let the performer of the sacrifice be cautious never to offer bad flesh, as the head and blood are looked upon by themselves equal to ambrosia." "The gourd, sugar cane, spirituous liquors, and fermented liquors are looked upon as equivalent to other offerings, and please the Goddess for the same duration of time as the sacrifice of a goat.The performance of the sacrifice, with a Chandrahasa, or Gatri, (two weapons of the king) is reckoned the best mode, and with a hetcher or knife, or a sangeul, the second best, and the beheadings with a hoe a Bhallac (an instrument of the spade kind) the inferior mode." "Exclusive of these weapons no others of the spear of arrow kind ought ever to be used in performing a sacrifice, as the offering is not accepted by the Goddess, and the giver of it dies. He who, with his hands, tears off the head of the consecrated animal, or bird, shall be considered equally guilty with him who has slain a Brahman, and shall undergo great sufferings.” "Let not the learned use the axe, before they have invoked it by holy texts, which have been mentioned heretofore, and framed by the learned for the occasion; let those I now tell you, be joined to them and the axe invoked, and particuarly so, where the sacrifice is to be made to the Goddesses Durga and Camachya." "Let the sacrificer repeat the word Kali twice, then the words ' Devi Bajreswari, the Lawha Dandayai, Namah ! " which words may be rendered ' Hail! Cali, Cali! Hail! Devi! goddess of thunder, Hail Iron sceptered Goddess !' Let him then take the axe in his hand, and again invoke the flame by the Calratriya text as follows: "Let the sacrificer say: ' Hrang Hring. Cali, Cali. ' 0 horrid toothed Goddess: eat, cut, destroy all the malignant, cut with this axe, bind; seize, seize: drink blood; spheng secure, secure. Salutations to Cali." Thus ends the Calratriya Mantra." "The Charge (the axe) being invoked by this text called the Calratriya Mantra, Calratri (the Goddess of darkness) herself presides over the axe uplifted for the destruction of the sacrificer's enemies." "The sacrificers must make use of all the texts directed previous to the sacrifice, and also of the following, addressing himself to the victim." "Beasts were created by the self existing, himself to be immolated at sacrifices. I therefore immolate thee, without incurring any sin in depriving thee of life." "Let the sacrificer then name the Deity to whom the sacrifice is made, and the purpose for which it is performed; and by the above text immolate the victim, whose face is to be towards the north, or else let the sacrificer turn his own face to the north, and the victim's to the east: Having immolated the victim, let him without fail mix salt &c., as before mentioned with the blood." "The vessel in which the blood is to be presented, is to be according to the circumstances of the offerer, of gold, silver, copper, brass, or leaves sewed together, or of earth, or of tutenague, or of any of the species of wood used in sacrifices." "Let it not be presented in an iron vessel, nor in one made of the hide of an animal, or the bark of tree; nor in a pewter, tin, or leaden vessel. Let not the blood be represented in the holy vessel named Srub and Sruch, nor on the ground. Let it not be presented in the Ghata (i.e. an earthern-jar always used in other religious ceremonies). Let it not be presented by pouring it on the ground, or into any of the vessels used at other times for offering food to the Deity, Let not the good man who wishes for prosperity, offer the blood in any of these vessels. Human blood must always be presented in a metalic or earthern vessel; and never on any account in a vessel made of leaves, or similar substance." "The offering of a horse, except at the Aswamedha sacrifice, is wrong, as also offering an elephant, except at the Gaja Medha; Let therefore the ruler of men observe never to offer them except on those occasions. And on no account whatsoever let him offer them to the Goddess Devi, using the wild bull called Chanrara as a substitute for the horse, when the occasion required one." "Let not the Brahman ever offer a lion or a tiger, or his own blood, or spirituous liquors to the Goddess Devi. If a Brahmen sacrifices either a lion, a tiger, or a man, he goes to hell, and passes but a short time in this world attended with misery and misfortune." "If a Brahman offers his own blood, his guilt is equal to that of the slayers of a Brahman; and if he offers spirituous liquors he is no longer a Brahman." "Let not a Cshectree offer an antelope; if he does, he incurs the guilt of a Brahmin slayer where the sacrifice of lions, or tigers, or of the human species is required, let the three first classes act thus; having formed the image of the lion, tiger, or human shape with butter, paste, or barley meal, let them sacrifice the same as if a living victim, the axe being first invoked by the text Nomo, &c. "Where the sacrifice of a number of animals is to take place it is sufficient to bring and present two or three to the Deity, which serves as a consecration of the whole. I have now related to you, 0 Bhairava, in general terms, the ceremonies and forms of sacrifices attend now to the different texts to be used on the several different occasions." "When a buffalo is presented to Devi, Bhairavee, or Bhairava let the sacrificer use the following Mantra in invoking the victim. In the manner that thou destroyest. Horses, in the manner that thou carriest Chandica, destroy my enemies, and bear prosperity to me, O Buffalo!" "0 steed of death, of exquisite and imperishable form, produce me long life and fame. Salutation to thee, o buffalo! " "Now attend to the particulars relative to the offering of human blood." "Let a human victim be sacrificed at a place of holy worship, or at a cemetery where dead bodies are burried. Let the oblation be performed in the part of the cemetery called Heruca, which has been already described, or at a temple of Camachya, or on a mountain. Now attend to the mode." "The cemetery represents me, and is called Bhairava, it has also a part called Tantarange; the cemetery must be divided into these two division, and a third called Heruca." "The human victim is to be immolated in the east division which is sacred to Bhairava, the head is to be presented in the south division, which is looked upon as the place sculls sacred to Bhairavi, and the blood is to be presented in the west division, which is denominated Heruca." "Having immolated a human victim, with all the requisite ceremonies at a cemetery or holy place, let the sacrificer be cautious not to cast eyes upon the victim." "On other occasion also, let not the sacrificer, cast eyes upon the victim immolated, but present the head with eyes averted." "The victim must be a person of good appearance, and be prepared by ablutions, and requisite ceremonies, such as eating consecrated food the day before, and by abstinance from flesh and venery: and must be adorned with chaplets of flowers and besmeared with sandal wood. " "Then causing the victim to face the north, let the sacrificer worship the several deities presiding over the different parts of the victims body: let the worship be then paid to the victim himself by his name." "Thus let the sacrificer worship the victim, adding whatever other texts are applicable to the occasion, and have been before mentioned.” "Let not the female, whether quadruped or bird, or a woman be ever sacrificed; the sacrificer of either will indubitably fall into hell, where the victim of either the beasts or birds creation, are very numerous, the immolation of a female is excusable; but this rule does not hold good, as to the human species." "Let not a Brahman or a Chandala be sacrificed; nor a prince; nor that which has already been presented to a Brahmen, or a deity; nor the offspring of a prince, nor who has conquered in battle; nor the offspring of a Brahman, or of a Cshettree; nor a childless brother, nor a father, nor a learned person, nor one who is unwilling, nor the maternal uncle of the sacrificer. Those not here named, and animals, and birds of unknown species are unfit. If these named are not forth coming, let their place be supplied by a male ass or camel. If other animals are forth coming, the sacrifice of a tiger, camel, or ass must be avoided." "Having first worshipped the victim, whether human, beast, or bird, as directed, let the sacrificer, immolate him uttering the Mantra directed for the occasion, and address the deity with the text laid down before." "Let the head and blood of a human victim be presented on the right side of Devi, and the sacrificer address her standing in front. Let the head and blood of birds be presented on the left and the blood of a person's own body in front. Let the ambrosia proceeding from the heads of carnivorous animals and birds be presented on the left hand. as also the blood of all aquatic animals." "Let the antelope's head and blood, and that of the tortoise, rhinoceros and hare and crocodile, and fish be presented in front." "Let a lion's head and blood, be presented on the right hand, and the rhinoceros's also: let not, on any account, the head or blood of a victim ever be presented behind the Deity, but on the right, left and in front." "Let the consecrated lamp, be placed either on the right hand, or in front but on no account, on the left. Let incense be burnt on the left, and in front, but not on the right hand. Let perfumes, flowers and ornaments, be presented in front; with respect to the different parts of the circle, where to present the offerings, the mode already laid down may be observed. Let Madira (spirituous liquor) be presented behind other liquids on the left." "Where it is absolutely necessary to offer spirits, let the three first classes of men supply their place, by coconut juice in a brass vessel, or honey in a copper one. Even in a time of calamity, let not a man of the three first classes, offer spirituous liquor, except that made from flowers, or stewed dishes. Let princes, ministers of state, counsellors, and vendors of spirituous liquors, make human sacrifices, for the purpose of attaining prosperity and wealth." "If a human sacrifice is performed, without the consent of the prince, the performer incurs sin. In cases of imminent danger or war, sacrifices may be performed at pleasure, by princes themselves and their ministers, but by none else." "The day previous to a human sacrifice, let the victim be prepared by the text Manastac, and three Devi Gandha Sucthas, and the texts Wadrang; and by touching his head with the axe, and besmearing the axe with sandal &c., perfumes, and then taking some of the sandal, &c., from off the axe, and besmearing the victim's neck therewith." "Then let the text Ambe Ambica, &c., and the Towdra and Bhairava texts be used, and Devi herself will guard the victim who, when thus purified, malady does not approach him, nor does his mind suffer any derangement from grief and similar causes, nor does the death or birth of a kinsman render him impure." "Having secured the victim with cords, and also with (Mantras) let him strike off the head, and present it to Devi, with due care. Let him make these sacrifices in proportion to the increase or decrease of his enemies, chopping off the heads of victims for the purpose of bringing destruction on his foes, infusing, by holy texts, the soul of the enemy into the body of the victim, which will when immolated, deprive the foe of life also." "The blood must be drawn for the express purpose of an oblation, and from a man pure in body and mind, and free from fear; it must be caught in the petal of lotus and presented. It may be presented in a gold, silver, brass or iron vessle, with the due from, the texts recited." "The blood, if drawn by incision made with a knife, axe or sangeul, gives pleasure, in proportion to the size of the weapon." "The sacrificer may present one fourth of the quantity which a lotus petal will contain, but he must not give more on any account; nor cut his body more than is necessary. He who willingly offers the blood of his body and his own flesh, the size of a grain of linseed, Masha, tila, or mudya, with zeal and fervency, obtains what he desires in the course of six months." "He who performs sacrifices according to these rules, obtains, his wishes to the utmost extent." This is the Dharma which the Kali Purana preaches. After centuries of Ahimsa ordained by Manu here is Himsa in full blast sanctioned by the Tantras in its worst and all inclusive form— animal and human Himsa. These Himsa practices preached in the sanguinary chapter of Kali Purana had become quite widespread. As to the revival of animal sacrifice what happens at the Kali Temple in Calcutta furnishes unmistakable proof. That this temple should have become a perfect slaughter house where daily hundreds of goats are sacrificed to appease the Goddess Kali can only be explained by the teachings of the Kali Purana. Today human beings are not sacrificed to the Goddess Kali. But it does not mean that it never happened. On the contrary there is abundant evidence to show that human sacrifice like animal sacrifice was practiced as taught by the Kali Purana. Dr. Rajendralal Mitra says: "The fact is well known that for a long time the rite (of Human Sacrifice) was common all over Hindustan; and persons are not wanting who suspect that there are still nooks and corners in India, where human victims are occasionally slaughtered for the gratification of the Devi. In old families which belong to the sect of the Vamacharis, and whose ancestors formerly offered human victims at the Durga and the Kali Pujas, a practice still obtains of sacrificing an effigy, in lieu of a living man. The effigy, a foot long, is made of dried milk (khira), and sacrified according to the formula laid down in the Kalika Purana the only addition being a few mantras designed typically to vivify the image. A friend of mine, Babu Hemachandra Ker, Deputy Magistrate of twenty four Pergunnahs and author of an excellent work on the culture of Jute in Bengal informs me that in the eastern districts of Bengal this sacrifice is frequently performed; but the image instead of being slaughtered by a single individual, is cut up simultaneously by all the grown up members of the family, either with separate knives, or with a single knife held jointly by all. This is known by the name of Satruball or "sacrifice of any enemy ". The sacrifice, both in the case of Nara Bali and the Satru Bali is performed secretly, generally at midnight. The Satrubali, however, is a distinct rite, apart from the Narabali of the Kalika Purana, and authority for it occurs in the Vrihannila Tantra, in which it is said, after performing certain other rites therein described, "a king should sacrifice his enemy (in an effigy) made with dried milk (khira). He should slaughter it himself, looking at it with a fiery glance, striking deep, and dividing it into two with a single stroke. This should be done after infusing life into it by the rite of Prana Pratishtha, and repeating the name of the person to be destroyed. O consort of Mahesa, he doubtless destroys thereby his enemies." [3] Question(s) to Hindus arising out of this revelation I am not trying to imply that all or most Hindus do this, far from it. Most Hindus are tolerant, respectable people. I am onlysaying that since there is no such thing as one religious tenet of Hinduism, Hinduism in other forms allow it.Hinduism can be defined by stating all the religions which stem from, directly and indirectly from the Vedas and all the religions which stem from, directly and indirectly from the earlier pre-Aryan/pre-Rig Vedic Shaivite period and it's religion which is now the religion of the Dravidians who reside in the South (the people of Mohenjo Daro worshipped Shiva on himself, but not in the currect Hindu view of him in the Trinity with Brahma and Vishnu, rather this trinity was a result of the fusion of the Aryan beliefs and Shaivite beliefs after the Aryan emigration).So, as such, when I criticise this human sacrifice portion of Hinduism, I am only criticising certain people who follow certain books or traditions which allow human sacrifice.A question, Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that all paths (religions) lead to God, now, Hindus also believe that adharma (roughly; sin) does not get you to the Lord (in heaven), instead you get punished by getting reborn.This is the question, what explanation do you give for this paradox (I cannot find it anywhere in Hindu scriptures), certain religions in Hinduism allow things which are considered adharma in other religions of Hinduism, e.g. Tantriks are allowed Himsa ("injury" it is part of their rituals to sacrifice animals) while other Hindus follow Ahimsa (non-injury), which one is right? Since all have explicit basis for their beliefs in Hindu scriptures, which one is correct? If one then believes that Himsa is bad and gets you bad karma leading you to reincarnation, what about the other group which believes Himsa is alright? Would they also get bad Karma which is capable of getting them punished by making them reborn even though their path of Hinduism allows violence (animal sacrifice)? So is it that whatever path one chooses he also accepts the restraints of that path (so he can "sin" but only in that path but he will not "sin" if he chose the other path which does not recognise this certain act as sinful)? So if this is true, can a person who no longer desires non-violence (Ahimsa) and wants to sacrifice humans do it by changing to Tantrik Hinduism whose book the Kali Purana allows and gives incentives for human sacrifice and not get any sin since it is the Dharma (rules/religion) of his particular Hindu path? This then is a major confusion in Hindu theology, if one path of Hinduism says that you will be punished for doing a certain thing, and another says that it is actually part of worship to do that same thing which is a sin in the other part of Hinduism, which is correct? These are both supported in Hindu scriptures. One would expect at least a certain amount of homogeneity in Hindu beliefs, very crucial elements of theology concerning the afterlife and what happens have to be the same, this is then a full-on contradiction. Even though Hindus claim that contradictions are no problem with them and their religion, certainly the common factor between them of what happens after death should be the same, otherwise they will then be completely different religions in the full sense of the word. Kalighat Temple The Kalighat Temple in Calcutta is the centre of Kali worship in Bengal it is to Kali worshippers what Mecca is to Muslims, on the age of the temple, which used to occupy this place, I quote Indiantemples.com: The Temple: The Kalighat temple in its present form is only about 200 years old, although it has been referred to in Mansar Bhasan composed in the 15th century, and in Kavi Kankan Chandi of the 17th century. [4] On animal sacrifice in this temple a traveller by the name of Kenneth Wilson writes: The King assigned a boy to go with us, to prevent us takingphotographs of forbidden objects, and by a single word tokeep the beggars away. Pressing through the dense crowd,less accommodating of foreigners than most Indian crowds, weturned suddenly into the temple compound itself, and intochaos. Mother Kali's shrine was in the centre, raised aboveits surroundings. Within the compound, close to one wall ofthe shrine, stood the boli enclosure, place of goatsacrifice. It was marked out only by a low wall, surroundingtwo blocks of stone and an iron ring for putting an animal'shead in to decapitate it. The whole was covered in oldblood, and swarmed with a million flies. One stroke takesoff a goat's head. Its eyes, with no further power to blink,look back in surprise at its own unaccountably flailinglegs. He further states on human sacrifice: Human sacrifices were regularly made here, saidMr. Shanti, until the British stopped the practice in 1821.Was that really the last one, we wondered? Even today, it issaid, in the wildest parts of Bengal Kali will receiveannually a human life or two. [5] It should thus be known that human sacrifice does not actually get condemned in Hinduism theologically because of the many paths within Hinduism that allow various things. While it is true that the majority of Hindus revile this practise, and that the Indian government has made this illegal under the punishment of death if carried out, human sacrifice still remains theologically compatible with certain paths of Hinduism and in fact there is a very big incentive for it given in the Kali Purana. Hence the repeated accounts of human sacrifice in India which go reported (no doubt many go unreported). Ultimately, this stems from the Vedas which have accounts of human sacrifice called Purushamedha,. The Rig Veda is an account of the Aryans who emigrated into India about 3500 years ago and brought into India with them primitive practices (vis a vis the earlier Harappans) such as human sacrifice. It's origins possibly go all the way back to Central Asia and the Russian steppes. Human sacrifice was abandoned as a popular practise in India combined after the teachings of Ahimsa (non-violence) spread throughout India after the appearance of Mahavira and Buddha and the subsequent Jain and Buddhist influence of Ahimsa on Hindu thought. Human sacrifice survived as a social and religious practice in Bengal and the areas adjacent to it such as Assam and in isolated areas in India where Kali worship was popular. Ultimately it was successfully prohibited after the British occupation of India, the Muslims, especially the Mughals found it exceptionally hard to stamp out this practice as they relied on local Hindu and their leaders to hold onto areas of India by acceding to their wants and therefore preventing strife. Many Muslim and Hindu Nawab's found it hard to stomp out the practice by the orders of the Mughal Emperors because the people themselves, especially in Bengal did not treat this as an evil act, the same was true with casteism. As we have seen from the above, human sacrifice does remain a leech-like irritant on Indian society, and as the reports shown below will tell you, it is not rare. TIME Asia Magazine: Killing for 'Mother' Kali (newly added) Sorcerer sacrifices boy for occult powers (newly added) Parents held for AP girl's 'sacrifice' 'Priestess' arrested for 'child sacrifice' Child sacrifice accused confesses Girl killed to propitiate goddess Four-year-old sacrificed in UP 2 arrested in Tripura for sacrificing a woman to get at hidden treasure Rediff On The NeT: 40 months from the 21st century, human beings are still being sacrificed Father beheads son in Chenai Woman, parents arrested for child sacrifice Child sacrifice in Sambalpur Mother sacrifices young son to find treasure trove Police arrest priest for "sacrificing young boy" Woman suspected of beheading 7-year old in "Hindu ritual" 8 year old sacrificed by temple priest Village tense over "child sacrifice", probe on 7-yr-old ‘sacrificed’ by village tantrik - [1/12/2001] - Hindustantimes.com References: [1] Encyclopedia Britannica Standard Edition CD [2] Rediff.com [3] Riddles in Hinduism [4] Indiantemples.com [5] Soul of India Home Tat Twam Asi Movies - What's on at your local cinema? 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