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People living in a small village in India are vowing to continue a centuries-old tradition that requires every family to dunk their children into piles of cow manure for good luck.
The highly unusual tradition takes place in a tiny village named Betul in Madhya Pradesh, according to The Mirror.
For hundreds of years, parents living in the small community have long since believed that cow manure can solve just about any health problem.
In fact, the inherent “purity” of the sacred cow manure is believed to bring good luck to children, protecting them from serious illnesses and other health ailments.
As The Mirror reports, the village ritual takes place annually, the day after Diwali—known as the festival of lights—and goes on from dawn until dusk.
Because the tradition requires that every single child in the village must be covered in cow manure by his or her parents, people spend weeks collecting it for the community pile.
Though the bizarre ritual may seem bizarre to most outsiders, many locals swear by the “medicinal” benefits of cow manure, especially in small children.
Some even believe that smearing cow manure all over their children’s bodies has protected their kids from contracting any serious diseases.
In Hinduism, the cow is considered one of the most sacred creatures on earth, with many believing that the animal’s urine can also protect children against disease.
