Bizarre though it may sound but a farmer in Fatehpur district held a ‘mundan’ (head shaving) ceremony for his buffalo calf.
The ceremony was held at Saroli village in Khaga area on Friday.
Jai Chandra Singh, a farmer, said that he had performed the ritual on the advice of some village elders.
“Whenever my buffalo would give birth, the calves would not survive. Some of my friends advised me to hold a ‘mundan’ ceremony for the calf and then host a ‘bhandara’ (community feast) for the people in the village. I am following their advice and I hope this calf will live long,” he said.
The calf, meanwhile, was draped in a red brocade ‘chunni’ and was seen visibly uncomfortable while the barber shaved off the hair on its head. The women stood around in a circle, singing folk songs.
Over 300 people from Saroli village and also neighbouring villages attended the feast later.