Dark Medium

Black magic is a way of life in many southern districts. Asking a child bitten by a dog to sniff a dead body or ‘speaking’ to the dead in order to settle family disputes  are some of the  practices followed in the land where rationalism has deep roots

After the recent report of a couple being arrested for practising black magic in Permabalur, it emerges that several superstitious beliefs and practices are followed in many southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Black magic and other rites related with the shadow world have been in practice for ages. Despite recent advances in science and technology, such practices continue to flourish in many pockets of the state. 

Most of the consequences arising out of them are negative, which can even result in death. Despite the known negative consequences several such practices have been witnessed in most parts of the state. On March 10, Karthick and his wife Deepika (also known as Nazeema) were held, after the body of a young woman was found in their house. 

During their questioning, it emerged that the couple was involved in black magic. They claimed they would interact with the souls of the dead, for which they required a dead body. Many people reportedly had a strong belief that the couple had the power to speak with their dead family members and approached them. 

The couple was caught after they obtained a dead body from the Mylapore graveyard through a broker and transported it to Perambalur. There are several other practices in the state, where the weirdest of customs and beliefs fuels a flourishing market.

In Thoothukudi district there are several self-styled godmen who stand on the sickles and predict one’s future. At Kovilpatti, a godman of Karuppasamy Temple at Ilayarasanendhal, has claims of forecasting the future while standing on top of 21 sickles. Devotees believe that the words uttered by the godman by standing on top of the sickles, the weapon of Karuppasamy, would never fail and would blindly follow his words. 

After he successfully stands on the sickle, over 60 kg of chilli powder dissolved in a bucket of waterwould be poured over him and he would be worshiped. 

Similarly, in Thoothukudi, a godman attached to Karuppasamy Temple predicts the future by standing on top of the sickle, after consuming liquor He would sit inside a pit for a single night and would come out before predicting what tomorrow holds for many. The crowd is known to reverentially offer liquor bottles to such men. 

At Thathaneri in Madurai district if children are bitten by dogs, it is a common practice to take the children to the cremation ground and make them smell the dead bodies. People believe that smelling a dead body is a cure for dog bites. 

At Virudhupatti in Virudhunagar, there is another weird practice. Villagers had constructed a small platform around a mile stone and had started worshiping it. 

According to local legend, when villagers were walking in the night they had noticed Lord Muni sitting on the milestone with a sickle in his hand and began to worship it. 

Another common practice in Sudalai Madasamy temples across the southern districts is that during the annual temple festiva, l pigs would be sacrificed. During the sacrifice the throat area which was cut initially will be stuffed with bananas and the blood-strained bananas would be eaten by the priest of the temple. 

It is believed that God had directly obtained the power from the animal by tasting its blood and used the priest as a medium to descend. Most of these practices are held in secret, although locals would be aware of what was going on.