Police worship axe to get rid of snakes on Dushera

Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh, Oct 8 (UNI) The Tapkara police officials in Jashpur district have been gripped with the superstitions of an axe -- Tangi -- and have been regularly worshipping it for 18 years in a bid to keep away the serpents, solve the unsolved mysterious and remove any looming danger.

''The station falls in the Naglok area where snakes are found in abundance hence to get rid of the reptile the then Station House Officer (SHO) took help from 'Baiga' tribal Dhulu Bhuyian who gave him an axe in 1989,'' Tapkara Station House Officer A R Chhatre told UNI today.

He claimed that since then it has been regularly worshipped by the staff twice a day and conduct special 'pooja' on Dushera by the same tribal.

''The main gate of Maalkhana has been reserved as worship place for the axe where entire staff take part in the ceremony to appease the axe,'' he said.

The police officials believed that the magical powers of 'Tangi' have been refraining the snakes away from the police station premises.

Now the police personnel claimed that no snake has been spotted since they started worshipping.

Special arrangements to worship the magical Tangi on the occasion of Dushera scheduled on tomorrow have been completed, he added.

UNI XC-KV 1320