Tossing Babies Off the Rooftop for Ensuring Good Luck

At Baba Umer Durga Shrine in the village of Solapur, India tossing babies through a height of 50 feet is an annual affair. This ritual has been taking place for over last 700 years and is meant for babies below the age of 2 years. Though the whole event may sound irrational to an outsider, but the locals claim that this ritual is intended to bring good health and grandeur to the newly born baby.

A devotee climbs the wall of the shrine on a rope, as he does so, he carries a baby wrapped up in a piece of cloth on his back. When he reaches the top, he hands over the baby to priests standing near the roof edge. The priest takes the baby and swings him in the air before dropping him through a height of 50 feet. This baby, then goes on to fall on a blanket and is then retrieved by his mother standing in the audience. At each such event, as many as 200 babies are thrown off the rooftop. The natives claim that the whole event is performed under supervision and that no serious injuries are recorded, but such events often leave a devastating impression on the baby’s mind and it takes them several hours to recover from such trauma. 

Climbing With Baby: A devotee climbs the wall on a rope with the baby in his backpack.

Baby Swinging: The priest swings the kid back and forth before dropping him off the rooftop.

Baby Tossing: The baby falls through a height of 50 feet.

Catching The Baby: This baby is caught securely below by the locals holding the blanket.

Sobbing Baby: Such events have a frightening effect on the baby’s mind.

This practice was officially banned by the Indian government in 2011 but this didn’t deter the villagers from indulging in such activities as they claim that it’s their religious responsibility to undertake such events. Lack of awareness and high infant mortality rates in rural India has forced the people into such irrational practices as the people believe that such rituals would ensure their kids good health. It is the responsibility of the local administration to educate the people regarding such issues.