Indians, mostly women, are performing rituals and worshipping the coronavirus as “Mother Corona” or “Corona Goddess” because they believe that this can put an end to the pandemic.
The practice of worshipping the coronavirus as a goddess has been reported from states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Assam.
In a video from Bihar, the state where videos depicting the worship a Kangaroo-shaped dustbin as a god went viral in 2017, women wore vermilion on their forehead and chanted "long live corona ma" and "go away from Bihar" in a temple. They also offered flowers, sweets, and cloves to the "Corona Goddess".
Corona Maai ki Jai Ho 😂
— Md Tousif (@MdTousi54071392) June 7, 2020
In The Near future People Will Start worshipping #CoronaVirus.#CoronavirusIndia #COVIDIDIOTS #Lockdown5 pic.twitter.com/FiuAl4i0wf
उफ़ रे #कोलकाता में ये अंधविश्वास.... अब कोरोना को भगाने के लिए ये.... ☹️आप देखिये.... #Kolkata #coronavirus #puja pic.twitter.com/PdPaObTc4C
— Swati Pathak (@pathakswati_) June 5, 2020
In the Biswanath district of northeastern Assam, women reportedly gathered at a river bank to perform rituals and pray to the “Corona goddess”, believing that the frightful disease will leave the world if satisfied with their devotions.
Many perform 'Corona Devi Puja' to end coronavirus pandemic in Assam. Mostly women, are now performing 'Corona Devi Puja'! They believe it is only way to put an end of deadly coronavirus pandemic. From Biswanath to Darrang and even in Guwahati, many performed 'Corona Devi Puja'. pic.twitter.com/CEhes0DDEh
— Nandan Pratim Sharma Bordoloi 🇮🇳 (@NANDANPRATIM) June 7, 2020
In Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, transgender individuals gathered at an open ground on Friday to perform a special puja (ritual) to appease the "Coronavirus Goddess" after some of them claimed that the "goddess" had appeared in their dreams.
The incidents, happening for 2-3 days, have led to mixed reactions on social media as some mocked them for their superstitious belief and others called them gullible and innocent.
People are performing 'corona puja' in Bihar,West Bengal...They treat coronavirus as a goddess & offer 9 laddus, 9 cloves, 9 flowers. So that goddess leaves & people won't get sick. No mask, no social distancing. Superstition will ever die? Scientific temper will ever develop? pic.twitter.com/NyfJsTIKgU
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) June 7, 2020
Corona is not less then goddess..That hold immense power to stop the whole world..Well another side ..Take it as innocent people which are very difficult to see now a days... Sometimes we have to use our heart not our brain
— Bhagat Singh (@bhagat1_singh) June 7, 2020
Some were also left concerned after religious places reopened in the country on Monday after an absolute shutdown for over 75 days. While the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines and protocols to be followed to ensure COVID-19-proof measure, temples, mosques, and shrines see huge crowds on any given day.
The decision to open malls and places of woship comes a day after the nation surpassed Italy and Spain in coronavirus infections, recording 256,611 positive cases and 7,135 deaths.
