Shiva Gajan Festival underway in India - Burdwan

01/12

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Hindu devotees dancing with skeletons during the ancient ritual.

02/12

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Hindu devotees dance in traditional dress.

03/12

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Hindu devotee holds up a human skull.

04/12

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Devotees lie on the ground as they pray to Lord Shiva during the ancient ritual.

05/12

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Devotee dancing with body of immature baby during more than 300yrs old rare religious festival Shiva Gajan in the remote village Kurmun (about 170 km from Kolkata) in Burdwan dist of West Bengal. Worshippers collect the human remains from graveyards.

06/12

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Hindu devotees dancing with skeletons during the ancient ritual.

07/12

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Hindu devotees dancing with skeletons during more than 300 years old rare religious festival ‘Shiva Gajan’ in the remote village Kurmun (about 170 km from Kolkata) in Burdwan dist Of West Bengal. Worshippers collect the human remains from graveyards.

08/12

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Hindu devotees dancing with skeletons during the ancient ritual.

09/12

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10/12

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11/12

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Devotees lie on the ground as they pray to Lord Shiva during the ancient ritual.

12/12

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A boy carries a human skeleton during the ancient ritual.

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Hindu devotees dance with skeletons during the more than 300 year old rare religious festival ‘Shiva Gajan’ in the remote village of Kurmunl. Worshippers also collect human remains from the local graveyard.

Hindu devotees dancing with human remains during more than 300 years old rare religious festival ‘Shiva Gajan’ in the remote village Kurmun (about 170 km east from Kolkata) in Burdwan district of West Bengal on Thursday early morning. Worshippers dig out graveyards to collect the human remains including skeletons and then took out a procession in the villages every year to observe religious festival ‘Shiva Gajan’ in the last week of Bengali month Chaitra.