Teenage girl cuts off her tongue, offers it to goddess in MP

A teenage girl cut off her tongue as an offering at the ancient Mata Basaiya temple in Madhya Pradesh on Friday evening. She was taken to a hospital by police but later referred to Gwalior for treatment due to her serious condition.

A teenage girl cut off her tongue as an offering at the ancient Mata Basaiya temple in Madhya Pradesh on Friday evening.

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The temple in Morena district was thronged with devotees for the ongoing Chaitra Navratri festival when the girl hacked her tongue with a knife and fell unconscious.

She was taken to a hospital by police but later referred to Gwalior for treatment due to her serious condition.

Though it is unclear what prompted the girl to commit the act, sources said she was ill and had been told by someone that offering her tongue to the goddess at the temple would cure her.

"The girl has been identified as Rinki Narvaria from Bhind district. She is aged around 17 or 18 years," said a police official at the local police station.

"We are investigating the case. We are also trying to find out if she was accompanied by someone to the temple or had come alone."