Superstition shocks Odisha again! Youths declared dead for seeing crows mate, mock funerals held

In a bizarre incident that highlights the persistence of superstition even in the modern era, two young men from Patraguda village in Odisha’s Koraput district were prematurely declared dead by their families after witnessing the rare sight of two crows mating, believed by locals to be an ominous sign foretelling death.

According to local tribal beliefs, the sight of crows mating is seen as a harbinger of misfortune, often interpreted as a sure sign of impending death for anyone who witnesses it. 

As per the ritual, family members of the affected persons immediately began post-death rites, announcing the youths as ‘dead while alive’ to ward off death itself.

The two men were symbolically laid out on bamboo stretchers like corpses, surrounded by wailing relatives. Mock funeral rituals, including purification ceremonies, were performed. The visuals of this bizarre episode have now gone viral on social media.

After the rituals, the ‘dead’ youths were brought back home, and normal life resumed. The incident has sparked debate over the deep-rooted superstitions still practiced in tribal regions of Odisha. 

Notably, Patraguda is located barely 10 km from the district headquarters, Jeypore, making the episode even more alarming in the context of the 21st-century progress.