Weird! Villagers worship ‘floating’ stones in Odisha river

Jagatsinghpur: Ignorance could lead to chaos with more and more people falling prey to surreal activities. People are thronging to a nondescript village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district to see ‘floating’ rocks believing it to be a supernatural activity.

Beating of drums, cymbals and other musical instruments mark the day where local residents worship a floating stone at a river near Birat Cuttack village under Raghunathpur block in the district.

The village is abuzz with activity throughout the day since almost a fortnight after the locals spotted it during a weed infesting drive at Hansua river.

One Ranjan Mohanty first discovered the floating stone in the river.

“Few days ago, we were deweeding a pond while I experienced a thud on my head. I thought someone hit on my scalp as I was unaware that it was the stone hidden in the weed struck me. I found a big stone afloat and one more too,” Ranjan narrated.

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The local residents have encircled the floating stones weighing around 3.5 kg and 2 kg with netted wires to limit its movement.

“Prasad is being offered twice every day. Villagers are participating in the spiritual event with enthusiasm. People are visiting from various places to offer prayers to the lord,” said Ajay Kumar Dash, priest.

While the naive villagers believe it to be a supernatural activity, experts with scientific knowledge say otherwise.

“It could be pumice which is hardened form of lava. After volcanic eruptions, air and water get into the molten lava which gets trapped after it cools down to take the shape of a stone. This is how its weight is reduced and it floats when falls into water,” an expert opined.

The residents of Birat Cuttack believe it to be an act of Lord Hanuman for which they are planning to construct a temple where the floating stones would be worshipped as representative idols.