‘She’s an angry goddess’: India’s coronavirus deities, ‘disease-curing’ shrines offer hope to desperate devotees
- A long entrenched tradition of turning to faith in calamitous times has seen Indians flock to shrines and temples as the pandemic rages on
- The country’s chronically underfunded health system is part of the reason, though such practices have a long history – and not everyone believes
Two “Corona Devi” idols – one crafted from sandalwood and the other from stone – have been consecrated at the Kamatchipuri Adhinam temple in the southern city of Coimbatore, where priests say daily prayers in a bid to alleviate people’s suffering.
Similar shrines for Covid-19 and other illnesses can be found all around the South Asian nation.
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In states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, women congregate near temples or under sacred trees to worship the coronavirus in the form of a goddess called “Corona Maa”.
They sit around in a circle and perform rituals, offering milk, coconuts, flowers and confectionery to the deity. Some chant prayers to appease her.
“We’re worshipping ‘Corona Maa’ so that our family members remain safe from the virus,” said Bimla Kumari, a resident of Patna, the state capital of Bihar. “The goddess will be pacified with worship and offerings only as she’s an angry goddess, not a benign one. Hospitals are overflowing and the government doesn’t care. So she is our only hope.”