Baby sent under the belly of a tusker to do away with bad planets trampled to death

A 10 month old baby was killed after been trampled by a tusker at the Perahera in the Medagampola area in Gokarella, Kurunegala.

This is while attempting to send the child under the belly of the tusker as per a belief in doing away with bad planets.

Later the individual who carried the child under the belly of the tusker was arrested by Police.

This individual had been drunk during the incident and hence had dropped the child who was later trampled by the tusker.

We inquired about this belief, from the Mahout of Nadengamuwe Raaja Tusker who carries the sacred relics of Sri Dalada Maligawa.

He said that there was no truth behind such rituals and if at all it must be done with a wild elephant and not a tamed one.