Social media intervention disrupts 'Bhopa's' live samadhi attempt in Rajasthan

A Bhilwara priest's attempt to undertake zinda samadhi was foiled by social media intervention on Wednesday in Rajasthan.

Shravan Kharol, a member of the Bhopa community in Asind town, sought goddess Durga's blessings during the auspicious days of Navratri. To this end, he wanted to be buried alive for three days.

"Kharol took care of the village temple dedicated to mataji (the Goddess) located near a pond in Khera village," said Manish Dev, Station House Officer of Asind.

The incident took place around 7 am on Wednesday. Kharol did not disclose his intentions to villagers while directing labourers to dig a 5ft-deep pit in the land adjacent to the temple. When curious onlookers questioned him about its purpose, he told them his faith in the Goddess would be resolute after three days of samadhi under the earth. "He then descended into the pit and told villagers to fill it up," a police officer said. "They placed a stone slab over the mouth of the pit and then covered it with loose earth." Kharol had left instructions to be pulled out three days later, when his prayers to the Goddess would be over.

The entire incident was recorded by some villagers on their mobile phones, which they shared on social media.

At around 11 pm, the landlines at Asind police station and the cell phones of police officers there began ringing frenetically with news about the zinda samadhi.

Sohan, a resident of Khera village, says police arrived shortly before midnight at the samadhi sthal (samadhi spot). Around 50 villagers were guarding the site marked with a ritualistic flower mandala. "The police spoke to village elders and explained to them that Kharol needed to be pulled out right away as he wouldn't be alive after three days," Sohan says.

After their assent, a rescue operation was initiated and an unconscious Kharol was pulled out from the pit. "We rushed him to the hospital at around midnight and he became conscious by morning," Dev said, adding "He was discharged at around 9 am."

Kharol was then arrested under CrPC section 151 and let out on bail of Rs 2 lakh, furnished by a villager who guaranteed that the priest would not repeat the act.

Zinda Samadhi Caught Live  

Shravan Kharol had a 5ft-deep pit dug in the land adjacent to the Devi temple. After he descended into it on Wednesday morning, he instructed villagers to close its mouth with a slab, and cover it with earth. Kharol told the villagers to pull him out three days later. He said he wanted to pray to the Devi on the auspicious days of Navratri. Villagers recorded the entire act and uploaded the clips on social media.

The Bhopas Of Rajasthan

Bhopa is a community of priests-singers. They are also known as ashvaari orghodla (literally, the horse a deity rides) after the belief that spirits of folk deities deliver messages through them. There are three types of Bhopas: Phad Bhopa, Aad Bhopa and Dev Bhopa. Phad Bhopas sing narratives of deities using phads (pictorial scrolls). Aad Bhopas foretell the future. Dev Bhopas, the most revered, are said to be able to invoke deities.